Love and Life
by blonde-gal
Summary: Rogue ends up in the middle of nowhere, trying to peace back the rest of her life. It seems the only one who can give Rogue a second chance is Pyro. Rated T for later chapters. Be nice because it is my first RoguePyro fic.
1. Chapter 1

Rogue walked around. She was clueless of where she was supposed to be. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She was supposed to be in Ms. Munroe's history class. It was going to be a little hard to get there, considering she was somewhere in Canada.

Rogue stopped and checked the time. Tears began to build up in her eyes as she remembered her life there. She willed the tears not to come, they couldn't come. If even one tear fell they would just freeze on her face and that would make her cry more. It would be a reminder of Bobby.

She tried to remember why she broke up with him, like she could actually forget that he started making out with other girls. First it was Jubilee, then Polaris, and after that some human waitress, Zelda something or another. He would have made out with Kitty, but Peter would have kicked his ass. He did tell her about kissing them after the human. Rogue thought angrily that the only reason that he told her was because Logan found out and threatened Bobby with the claws through the heart. Rogue replayed through their last conversation.

He apologized about three dozen times. Rogue remembered how her mind was in its numb stated that she only cost the last three apologies.

"Rogue I am soooooooooooooooooo sorry. I didn't mean to. It just got to be too much. I just needed to touch somebody. It meant nothing." Rogue recalled how those words made her snap.

"**You! You need to touch somebody. What about me? You can touch everybody except for me. I can't touch anybody, EVER AGAIN!" **Rogue thought about how she took a breath and tried to make him understand, even though her temper was high. "Do you know what it is like to feel completely alone in the world? No you don't. Your parents sent you here, they didn't give you a couple hundred bucks and put you bus to end up who knows where, or better yet they don't give a damn. You don't know what it is like when your boyfriend can't even tell you he is unhappy and needs to touch. That he doesn't think you will understand. Bobby, it kills. Hell, I'm dying in front of you and you don't even notice."

"Rogue don't be like this," Bobby pleaded.

"Be like what? Upset because you cheated on me with **THREE **different girls," Rogue asked amazed that he didn't understand her frustration.

"I love you!" Bobby said in a last desperate intent to keep Rogue. Rogue remembered the blistering tears that threatened to overflow and cascade down her cheeks.

"I don't believe you Bobby, I wish I could, but I can't. The truth is we are over."

"Rogue, no. If you want to believe me than believe me." He pulled her into a soft kiss and Rogue got all his memories of the other girls. _Fun!_ Along with those memories she got his feelings for her. She knew that he did love her. She got how he didn't want to loose her, but he needed contact. He was a guy, what did she suspect. She broke off gently. He looked down at her his eyes full of hope and he asked quietly, "Do you believe me now?"

"Yes," Rogue replied slowly at his hopeful expression she added, "but, that just makes the betrayal hurt more. Good-bye."

Rogue's eyes focused back into the present and she jumped out of the way of a truck. She thought about how she walked upstairs and packed. That night she took all the money she had saved and ran away.

She looked around for a place to eat and stay. She saw a pub and decided to go in and see if they had anything to eat. If they didn't at least she would be out of the snow for a little bit.

Rogue walked in and had a flashback to the bar where she met Logan. She saw a menu and she was glad she decided to come in. She walked to the bar and sat down. The bartender came over and asked her what she wanted. As Rogue glanced on the menu she realized in her rush to escape and get in she only had American money.

"Uh…," she stammered suddenly afraid of the man.

"What you forget your money?" the man asked puzzled.

"I only have American money," Rogue confessed.

"That's alright. I accept American money," he lied. This girl seemed nice even if she was probably a mutant. He was trying to be nice to those people ever since the stories trickled down about a man with claws who almost killed two men and broke a gun in half.

"Thanks sugah. I appreciate that," Rogue said thankful that this man was nice and she could eat. "In that case I'll have a…" she glanced up at the menu, "a burger and lemonade."

"Alright doll. That'll be ready in a minute. That's $6.50 American," he went to the kitchen and thought about how mutants could actually be decent people.

Rogue pulled her hood down and looked around. She saw a couple men playing cards. Most were drinking beer and the women were in a corner it looked like they were gossiping. She smiled and remembered Kitty and Jubilee's love for gossip.

"Here you are, one burger and lemonade."

"Thanks," Rogue replied as she began to eat. The bartender thought about how this girl was sweet and alone.

"Where are you from? You have a different type of accent than most Americans."

"I'm from Mississippi. I have recently been in New York going to school."

"So what are you doing up here?"

"I'm going on a road trip to Anchorage, Alaska."

"You are going by yourself! That seems weird for a young girl."

"Well everyone needs to take a road trip across the country by themselves at least once."

"That's from the movie Elizabethtown, right?"

"Yes and I believe it made sense so I'm traveling?"

"Why are you traveling to Anchorage, though?"

"I like the cold and winter. Probably because I never got a winter and Christmas during my childhood," at the bartender's confused expression she added, "it never snowed in Mississippi. It is in the South."

"Okay, well I have to help more people. Take your time eating."

Rogue smiled as he walked away. He was nice, probably pity, but he didn't avoid her at all costs so it was nice to talk a little. After the man helped people he started coming back to talk to Rogue. Rogue wanted to talk to him, but she needed to find a place to stay.

"Thank you for the food and accepting American money."

"You are very welcome."

"You wouldn't happen to know of a motel around here, by any chance?" Rogue asked trying to figure out where to stay.

"Yes. There is motel a block or so away and they take American money as well," he said, a little sad to see her leave, she was nice to talk to.

"Thank you again. The food was great." Rogue stood up and walked out to go into the hotel. She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice that she was being followed. She walked and headed to the motel.

Rogue was walking in the snow and tried to focus on putting one foot in front of another. Suddenly a hand went around her mouth and another went around her waist. She bit the hand; she didn't want to kill the person with her skin.

"Damn it Rogue! What the hell did you do that for?" She spun around and looked at

"JOHN?"

"Nice of you to recognize me, now come on we have to go," he said. "Oh, by the way its Pyro now."

"Where are we going?"

"No questions now move."

"But…"

"Now, I don't want to hurt you but…" he flicked open his Zippo.

Rogue followed and wished that Bobby was here to freeze his ass.


	2. Chapter 2

"John it is freezing!" Rogue declared after stumbling after him for about half an hour.

"Its Pyro not John and it is not that cold." Pyro said ticked at her for calling him by his human name. Rogue followed in silence for about another five minutes. "So what are you doing up in Canada, Rogue?"

"I thought you said no questions."

"You can't ask questions, but I can so I'll repeat my question what are you doing in Canada."

"None of you business _Pyro,_" Rogue said, not wishing to explain that Bobby cheated on her, that she ran away from the X-men and she just wanted to be alone. They walked in silence. Rogue began to think of ways to escape from John. She could run, but he would catch up with her and he'd probably hurt her. Rogue tried to focus on another idea but she couldn't come up with even a simple one.

"Keep up Rogue I don't have forever," Pyro said as he grabbed her arm to pull her after him.

"Sorry for inconveniencing you," Rogue said as she took longer steps to keep up with him. She noticed that the ground was starting to spin and it was beyond freezing. Her eyes opened wide and realized that she was having one of her meltdowns. "Damn," she said under her breath.

"Something bothering you Rogue?" Pyro asked knowing pretty well that she was furious at him for well everything he's ever done. He turned to look at her expecting her to be right beside him, but she wasn't. He turned around to look behind him, "Rogue!" he called again getting nervous because even though they were on different sides he didn't want her to be hurt by him or Magneto.

He looked down and saw her on the ground. He walked over to her side and tried to make sure she was still alive. "Rogue are you okay?"

"Fine Pyro. I just have spent the past three days hitch hiking in Canada and now you are forcing me to walk in the snow to hell knows where. Other than that I'm just perfect," she replied as she attempted to get up and continue following him.

"Geez, Rogue you can drop the sarcasm. I am asking what is wrong because honestly you look like shit."

"Look I'm up, I'm fine let's just go," Rogue replied not wanting to talk to him at all. She had managed to stumble up and take a few steps before she began to fall again. Pyro grabbed her before she hit the ground.

"Whoa, easy Rogue I know you are mad at me, but you don't need to die," he said looking at her concerned.

"I'm not trying to die it's just…"

"It's just what Rogue?"

"Nothing, just forget it."

"Tell me," he said trying to turn her around so she would face him.

"My powers are being weird lately. I keep hearing all of the people in my head and sometimes they just get too loud and I loose some control on reality and I start to faint. That is basically what just happened now and the fact that it is freezing out here doesn't help," Rogue said not really wanting to tell him but not feeling up to having him asking another million questions and making her go crazier.

"How long has this been happening?" John asked.

"Why do you care?" Rogue asked trying to figure him out.

"I just do Rogue now answer my question."

"About three months but it gets worse as things get more stressful."

"Will you be okay?" Pyro asked looking at her intently.

"Yeah, I'll be fine; I just need to clear my head."

"Are you really frozen?"

"I'm rivaling Bobby in his ice-form," Rogue blinked back the tears that threatened to overflow again as she mentioned his name. Pyro smirked and flicked open his Zippo. "What are you doing Pyro?"

"Relax, Rogue. I'm not going to hurt you." He made the flame grown bigger then thin and then it went over her. He watched and smiled as the flame made her have a beautiful glow. "Better?"

"Yeah that's a lot better." Pyro nodded curtly and put out the flame and began to walk forward again. Rogue saw a small change in him and she reached out to touch his arm, "Thank you John, sorry Pyro," Rogue was mad at herself for probably shutting him out again.

"You're welcome Rogue. Try not to call me John again, but I get that old habits are hard to break," he shocked both himself and Rogue when he didn't instantly turn on her.

"Can I ask where we're going or does the no questions rule still apply?" Rogue wondered aloud trying to see how far she could push her luck.

"We are going to headquarters because you are an X-man in Brotherhood territory so it is nothing personal, but you have to come in and I would suggest not making Magneto angrier than he already is." John glanced back at Rogue. "Come on, keep up." He reached back and grabbed her arm.

They walked in silence the rest of the way. They reached a really big building and Pyro opened the door and Rogue glanced around the headquarters. Everything was metal. Rogue thought that made sense after all it was Magneto's.

"Wait here Magneto will want to talk to you," instructed Pyro. Rogue looked up at the sudden change in his voice. His eyes were cold and unfeeling again, Rogue sighed and realized that however friend-like he had been it all changed the instant they entered Brotherhood territory.

"Okay Pyro." She watched as John walked away to find Magneto. Rogue looked around trying to get a better feel of the area, more than it was just made of metal. She noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. "Who's there?" she called out.

"Well if isn't the twit that messed up all the plans at Liberty Island," called out Toad's voice.

"Ugh if it isn't the green skinned wonder," Rogue said instantly recognizing his voice.

"What's an X-girl doing all alone in the Brotherhood fortress. Doesn't she know that we hate all X-men."

"Shut up Toad. I don't need to answer to you," Rogue said willing John to return with Magneto.

"Are you sure about that girl? I can be very dangerous when I want to be."

"So can I," was Rogue's reply. Toad hopped up close to her and pushed her to the ground.

"Do you know who you are messing with? I can kill you in the blink of an eye."

"I'm not afraid," Rogue said as she began to pull off her glove.

"That is enough both of you," came Magneto's angry voice.


	3. Chapter 3

Rogue sat on the metal bench next to Pyro. The both sat silently, wondering which one would speak first. It was Pyro.

"Say something Rogue, I don't like uncomfortable silences."

"I know, but it is hardly silent. Listen." They both quieted down and heard Magneto through the wall.

"What were you doing attacking Rogue?" bellowed Magneto.

"Well I was…"

"That was a hypothetical question. Did she attack you first, NO. There was no reason to attack her. Yes she is an X-man, but Pyro has informed me that she is alone."

"Well, sir, I…"

"You blamed her for getting electrocuted. Remember that was Storm. No get out of my sight before you disobey another one of my commands."

"I didn't disobey, sir, I…"

"You left your post that is disobeying."

Pyro and Rogue listened trying to keep from laughing.

"Thank you for bringing Magneto," came Rogue's soft voice. Then after a slight pause, "Did I really just say that?"

"You're welcome. Yes you actually said that and I got Magneto because he has to figure out how to deal with you, because you are an X-man in Brotherhood territory."

"I'm not an X-man," muttered Rogue under her breath.

"What was that?" Pyro asked, although he heard what she said.

"Nothing," she replied. Pyro cocks an eyebrow and she reluctantly replied, "I quit being an X-man."

"Why?"

"None of your business, Pyro," Rogue replied nastily.

"I'm gonna find out eventually, you do know that don't you. I mean you'll have to tell Magneto, unless you want to die, and he'll tell me. So you can either tell me now or I'll find out later," he informed her, hoping that his voice didn't give away how much he really wanted to know.

"I choose that you find out later, and I don't think you'll find out unless I tell you."

"Magneto will tell me."

Rogue smirked nastily, bringing out the part of John in her, "Just because you say that doesn't make it true."

"No, but the fact that he will tell me makes it true," Pyro said trying to keep the worry that way gnawing at him that Rogue was actually right out of his voice.

"Who are you trying to convince Pyro? Me or yourself? If it's me remember that I have a piece of him inside my head so I have insight into his world," Rogue looked at him sideways. Before he could reply the big metal door banged open and Magneto motioned for Rogue to come inside. Pyro watched as she walked inside and wondered if she absorbed a telepath because she voiced everything he was wondering in about a sentence.

"What is your punishment?" he asked Toad, for no other reason than make him mad.

"I have to clean the entire base, thanks to your girlfriend," Toad replied. Toad stormed out and left John staring. It took a moment for Pyro to realize what Toad had said.

"She's not my girlfriend," he called to Toad's back, but it was as pointless as calling to a wall.

"I hear from Toad that you were hanging around in our hide-out. Is this true?" Magneto asked with a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Yes it is true," Rogue replied, "sir." She decided to add the sir at the end to get into his good graces so she could be on her way and not have to explain why she left the X-men.

When she did not elaborate Magneto asked, "Do you care to elaborate?"

"Not really," replied Rogue, trying the honestly is the best policy approach.

"Rogue would you please tell me what you were doing in my lair?"

"Do I have to?" she asked.

"Yes, you have to,' Magneto replied keeping his voice clipped. _So much for the honesty run _thought Rogue_ I forgot how much I have him especially when he is being nice._

"I was waiting for you to come back with Pyro."

"Must you be this difficult and insolent?"

"Yes," she replied curtly.

"Rogue I'm starting to loose patience with you."

"It's not like I want to be in your lair," she replied like a child. At his raised eyebrow she decided to elaborate a little bit. "Pyro saw me in a bar and he grabbed me outside and told me I had to come because I was an X-man in Brotherhood territory. Maybe it was toad that told me that. In any event I was told to stay in the main room while Pyro got you so you could decide what to do with me."

"So in other words you were doing what you were told," Magneto said slightly amused.

"Shocking isn't it,' Rogue said then mentally cursed herself for letting her guard down.

"What were you doing in Canada?" At Rogue's hesitancy to elaborate he added, "Rogue it will be much easier for you if you tell me everything and keep no secrets because I prefer honesty."

"I quit the X-men so I decided to run and I had originally planned to go to Anchorage before I became a mutant. I was on my way, but I got …sidetracked," Rogue answered and cursed herself again for telling Magneto more than she wanted to.

Magneto waited for her to continue. When she didn't he sighed and said, "Rogue because you are in Brotherhood territory I must require that you stay here as our prisoner. However since you cared to share that you quit the X-men I will allow you to stay in a room and I will instruct my men to be civil. I'll have Pyro show you to a room and find some clothes."

"I have clothes."

"I will be keeping your bag with me until I can make sure that there are no tracers, in case you were lying about quitting the X-men. Pyro," beckoned Magneto.

Pyro walked in and grabbed Rogue by the arm and led her outside. Before Rogue heard the faint click of the door closing she heard Magneto call, "I'm not the monster you think me to be."

"Hey Pyro could you loosen your grip a little bit, I'm starting to loose the feeling in my arm." Rogue tried to turn around to look at his face. She noticed that it was stone cold. "Hello, Pyro, anybody in there?" No response. "Pyro what the fuck is wrong with you. Did I do something to make you hate me? I mean you almost seemed to be tolerating me." Rogue's attempt at figuring out what was wrong was falling on deaf ears. She sighed heavily.

"Here's where you will be staying," said Pyro. Rogue jumped at his sudden decision to speak, even though his voice sounded like a robot's.

"Okay."

"I'll come back in a bit with clothes for you to wear. As it is you have to go everywhere with an escort. Behave because I already have enough to do without having to baby sit you." Rogue shot him a dirty look still trying to figure out what was with the sudden change in temperament and surprised that he thought she would need baby sitting.

Rogue watched as Pyro walked out. She started swearing at herself for not coming up with a good comeback before he left. She hated not getting the last word. She lay down on the bed and stared at the metal ceiling.

She started falling asleep, despite the fact that the bed looked and felt extremely uncomfortable; Rogue hadn't had a good sleep since she left the mansion. Her subconscious brought back memories of Pyro from when he was John into her dreams. She remembered the last time she saw him as he walked down the ramp and headed into Alkali Lake. She remembered how she wanted to follow him, but something held her back.

She dreamt of another time. John, Bobby and herself were goofing off, before life got complicated. The boys were being boys and having a strength contest. They were arm wrestling and wanting to find out who was more powerful. They were extremely evenly matched. If Bobby won one, then John won two, then Bobby won two and they kept rotating the pattern. When Rogue suggested that they make it best out of whatever they enthusiastically agreed. Rogue was thankful for this because they were supposed to be taking a five minute study break and then bash a really stupid movie after another hour or so of studying.

Her plan back fired. The boys kept changing the amount one of them needed to beat the other and the five minute study break turn into fifteen minutes, then a half hour, then an hour, then an hour and a half.

"Boys this is ridiculous. Bobby, John, move over." Both boys looked over at her like she was crazy. John was the one who had the guts to tell her he thought she was a nut job.

"Rogue what the hell do you think you are doing?"

"Well boys since you both seemed obsessed with finding out which one is stronger I'm going to show you it doesn't matter." With that statement out of the way Rogue proceeded to beat them both three times in a row, each. "As you can see it doesn't matter which one of you is stronger because I can beat you both. Now back to studying." Both boys followed her lead still in semi-shock of what she just did.

As they were watching their stupid movie John couldn't help but notice how Bobby had his arm around Rogue's waist. John felt jealous because Bobby didn't deserve someone as great as Rogue. He wanted to tell her this, but she seemed happy with him and he just wanted Rogue to be happy.

When Bobby left to go get more popcorn John leaved over a whispered in Rogue's ear, "You do know that the only reason you won is because I let you, right."

Rogue turned to look at him with a dangerous gleam in her eye, "You just keep telling yourself that, sugah." John had a severe urge to wrap his arms around Rogue and kiss her. The only thing that prevented this was the fact that Bobby came in with more popcorn.

Rogue's subconscious slipped into another memory. It was of the first time she saw John in Ms. Munroe's history class. She remembered the warmth of the fire. She felt the heat spread throughout her body and she rolled over in her sleep, completely relaxed. Then there was a piercing scream that shattered her peace.


	4. Chapter 4

Rogue sat up with a shock. She immediately threw off her covers and got out of her bed. She went to the door and attempted to open it. It wouldn't budge; she then remembered that John said she had to be in her room or with an escort at all times. The scream got louder.

"Damn it Pyro let me out of here," Rogue shouted to the wall hoping that somebody could hear her over the insane screaming lady. Surprisingly the door swung open. Rogue stepped outside and checked the hallway. She didn't see anybody. Then she saw a flash of color from a room a couple doors down.

She hesitantly walked down the hallway. Rogue looked in and saw a mutant on the floor screaming in pain, although there were no visible injuries. Mystique and Pyro were leaning over her trying to make her shut up first and help her second. Toad was just sitting on the bed laughing his ass off.

"Toad shut up, help us or get lost," screamed Mystique, clearly upset that he wasn't helping the mystery woman.

"Hey I'm just enjoying the show Mystique. It is a blast," Toad replied ignoring the look Mystique shot him.

"Here's an idea Toad, go to hell."

"Whoa, watch that temper Mystique. You are supposed to be in control of your emotions. What would your best friend Destiny say if she knew that the reason you couldn't help her is because you let your anger…" Mystique looked up in surprise as Toad stopped talking. She saw Rogue finishing tying a gag of some type in Toad's mouth.

When Mystique raised an eyebrow quizzically at Rogue she responded, "I made his decision for him." Mystique shrugged and went back to comforting the woman, extremely glad for the silence.

"How did you get out of your room, Rogue?" asked Pyro, not even bothering to look up at her.

"I dunno. The door just opened and I heard someone screaming so I came in to see what was happening."

Before Pyro could respond and tell her to go back to her room, mind her own business or anything else along those lines Mystique spoke up, "Since you are here you can help us."

"What do you want me to do?" Rogue asked.

"Touch her," Mystique responded motioning to the woman. Upon seeing Rogue's hesitancy to hurt the woman Mystique elaborated, "Her power is to see the future my guess is that she had a vision that is causing her great pain, if you can take her powers and make the vision go away maybe we can wake her."

"Are you sure?" Rogue asked still trying to decide whether touching the woman would really help.

"No Rogue I'm not sure it will work, but I'm sure it is our last hope."

"Okay," replied Rogue and she extended her index finger and ran it along the woman's cheek. The woman's screaming stopped and Rogue fell onto the floor overwhelmed by the woman's powers and memories.

"Destiny are you okay?" asked Mystique.

"Yes I'm fine Mystique. How did I regain consciousness?" Destiny must be the woman I touched thought Rogue.

"Rogue took your powers so maybe you could regain control over your mind."

"Who's Rogue?" wondered Destiny. "I've never heard her name before."

"She would be the woman on the floor, my guess is your powers were a little much for her," responded Mystique.

"What do you mean my powers were too much for her?"

"Rogue's power is to take other people's powers," Mystique informed Destiny.

"Well maybe you should help her," said Destiny, momentarily wondering why this did not already occur to her friend.

"That's okay, I'm fine," Rogue said slowly picking herself up.

"Can you see where you are going, child?" inquired Destiny guessing by Rogue's insolent voice that she was very young.

"I'm not a child; I'm almost nineteen," Rogue blinked a couple times and realized she couldn't see, "and no I can't see. Why can't I see?"

"Destiny is blind so along with her power to tell the future you took her blindness," came Magneto's voice.

"Magneto, how nice of you to pay me a visit after the crisis has passed," Destiny said. "Rogue I'll help you get back to your room."

"That's all …," Rogue began.

"Young lady, you may have saved me, it is the least I can do."

"I'll take her back to her room Destiny," interjected Pyro. "Come on Rogue, let's go."

Pyro grabbed Rogue by her elbow and started to drag her out of the room. "Do I really have a choice if I want to leave or not?" Rogue asked, not really expecting an answer.

"No, not really." As they left the room Rogue felt a strange feeling as she exited the doorway. Pyro led her down the hallway and opened the door. "Didn't I tell you to stay in your room unless you had an escort?"

"Yes you did, but Destiny woke me up with her screaming and after the door opened, on its own, I went to see if I could help."

"Rogue just because everything worked out doesn't mean you are forgiven. Magneto will be furious if you ever pull a stunt like this again."

"What do you care?"

"I don't want to see you get hurt and Magneto likes everything to be a certain way."

"You don't want me to see get hurt, Pyro?" Rogue asked unable to believe her ears. "Don't worry I'll be fine." Once Pyro had left and shut the door Rogue said to herself, "Magneto can't hurt me John, only you could do that." Rogue sighed and tried to concentrate on getting her vision back.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:Sorry for not posting in a while, I was on vacation and couldn't get to a computer. Many thanks to all of my reviewers.

Disclaimer:I own nothing

Rogue's vision was slowly returning when there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she yelled, not trusting herself to make it the door and be able to open it.

"Hello, Rogue was it?"

"Oh, hi Destiny. How are you feeling?" Rogue asked, relieved to see, or rather hear, that it was Destiny and not Magneto or Pyro.

"Much better, thanks to you," Destiny replied watching Rogue carefully through her mind's eye. "What is wrong?" She asked sensing unease in the girl's actions.

"Nothing's wrong," Rogue answered with a questioning look on her face, wondering what gave Destiny the impression that something was wrong. "What makes you think something is wrong?" She asked voicing her thoughts.

"The way you keep wringing your hands and glancing around the room leads me  
to believe you have something unpleasant on your mind." Destiny answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I thought…"

"That I was blind, yes I am. My power however is to see the future so I use my powers to predict when things are happening. Also, since I am blind I have extremely acute senses so I can hear when you move your hands," Destiny explained a small smile on her face.

"That makes sense." Rogue said sullenly. It seemed now she couldn't hide anything from anyone, not even Destiny who was a blind woman. It depressed Rogue a little bit to know that she was bad at keeping her own thoughts to herself.

"Now are you going to tell me what is wrong?" Destiny asked.

"I wasn't lying when I said nothing was wrong, sure I can't see anything other than blurry shapes, but that doesn't bug me. The reason I'm tense is that I…" Rogue faltered trying to think of how to explain what was on her mind.

"Continue." Destiny encouraged happy that the girl was opening up and sharing her nervous thoughts with her.

"I used my powers to help somebody. That has never happened before in my life, I can't help think that there is some sort of catch." Rogue said her hands moving together again like before.

"You've never used your powers to help somebody?" Destiny asked shocked that  
this girl who had helped her so readily and didn't complain about not being able to see had never used her powers for the good of mutant-kind.

"I guess I always felt that I was helping people by not using my powers to leech off of theirs. I was keeping them out of a coma, so my powers always felt like a curse instead of the gift that Professor and Magneto make them out to be. It felt really surreal to help somebody. I think I'm finally beginning to see what they meant." Rogue answered wondering why Destiny was so shocked that a girl with a power like hers had never helped anyone. Rogue was beginning to accept it as a part of her though. It was her power that fuelled her hatred and anger, and it was also her power that made her sympathetic and slightly apprehensive about helping people.

"You mentioned somebody named Professor, do you mean Professor Xavier?"

"Yes I did. I was a student at his school, but I quit, well ran away, when my boyfriend cheated on me because he didn't have the nerve to tell me that he was frustrated with our relationship. I was tried of waiting for the Professor to find a way to teach me control, two years was too long to have made no progress in control." She said a small frown gracing her lips.

"I was heading to Anchorage; I've wanted to go there for a long time, before I was a  
mutant. I left a bar and Joh…Pyro grabbed me and dragged me here. This small chain of events basically takes me to the present," Rogue stated wryly.

Destiny stood up and started to leave. "Good-bye Rogue, it was a pleasure talking to you."

"Wait, you asked me several questions, now it is my turn to ask you at least one." Rogue said rather than asked.

"Okay Rogue, what is your question?" Destiny asked waiting for the younger girl's question.

"What was the vision that put you into so much pain?" Rogue asked nervously biting her lip. She wasn't sure if it was her place to ask but she wished Destiny would tell her.

"You didn't get that when you took my powers?" Destiny asked surprised that Rogue didn't already know.

Rogue started to shake her head, then she thought better of it, "No I didn't get the vision."

"I saw a battle. Blood every where, people dying, Magneto unable to help us. My friend Mystique was nowhere to be seen. I was there, fighting then I really was there. It was like my present self was transported into my vision of the future. I felt like I was dying, I was in pain and I can't end my visions. I was trapped and dying, until you pulled me out." Destiny said simply turning to leave once more.

Destiny was halfway out the door when she turned around and asked, "Rogue  
what is your other name?"

"Don't you mean my slave name?" she asked with venom in her voice, hating the term slave name because they weren't all that different from humans, there was but simply one difference between them and mutants, the X gene.

"No your other name, I do not support Magneto's term. He knows this, but he  
doesn't press the issue because I think he knows that I will leave if he bothers me too much and if I leave Mystique will too."

"Anna Marie ." Rogue said softly. She hadn't spoken her name for so long. It felt almost awkward hearing it again.

"I'm Irene Alder. When it is just the two of us you can call me that, nowhere else or Magneto will be furious." Destiny said this time quite sure she was going to leave but Rogue stopped her for a few more seconds.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked curiously. No one in the brotherhood had been particularly nice to her.

"I see a young girl who is in over her head, she can use a friend. Plus I am trying to make you see that the world isn't all black and white. Magneto and Professor Xavier fall into the grey area." Destiny smiled and left Rogue with one last piece of advice, "Focus on a time in your life when you were really happy and try to picture it when things get rough." Rogue watched Destiny leave the room and realized that while talking to Destiny she hadn't noticed that she had her vision back.

About half an hour later Rogue saw Pyro enter her room with a tray of food. "Destiny told Magneto that you probably were not up to eating with the rest of us. Why he listened to her is beyond me, but he did, so apparently now I'm your waiter as well as your escort," Pyro replied bitterly upset that he was her babysitter. After all boys like Pyro never liked to stay home where the dust bunnies lived, or in the brotherhoods case cockroaches.

"If you didn't want to bring me my food you could have just let me go hungry for the night, I wouldn't put it past you or the rest of the Brotherhood to starve me," Rogue replied in the same bitter tone because she was almost at peace until he came inside the room.

"Hey!" Pyro replied clearly upset that Rogue had insulted his new 'family'. "They are not all bad. If it makes you feel better to refuse any act of kindness from me or them, then don't eat," Pyro was getting more upset with every word that came out of her mouth. The Brotherhood, his family, were the ones that had accepted him for his powers and were not afraid of what he could do.

"You call dragging me here against my will, having Toad attack me, throwing me into a room with bars on the window, being upset with me for helping one of your team members, and serving me food that is ice cold an act of kindness? You've really lost your mind John haven't you?" Rogue responded sarcastically.

"Don't use my slave name," John threatened flicking open his Zippo, as if that was supposed to scare the girl who had witnessed his embarrassing moments unlike the Brotherhood.

"It's your other name John. Both Pyro and John are a part of you and it has nothing to do with being a mutant you idiot. Both of them are mutants however, John is that part of you that is capable of showing some emotion and can control of his powers. Pyro is the part of you that shows no emotion, no matter how hard John tries to make him and Pyro is the one who has his powers controlling him." Rogue stated reaching out and touching his shoulders with one of her gloved hands and said, "You need to be aware that both are you and you can't lock away John and expect Pyro to survive."

Pyro tried not to let it show how much her words affected him inside so on outside he responded with his traditional smirk and replied to her heartfelt speech with a… "Wanna bet?"

Rogue shook her head exasperated and said, "Try listening to John more, Pyro. All right?" She said trying to make it less complicated for him to understand her.

Pyro rolled his eyes, but John was the one who spoke, "Do you want me to heat up your food?" Then he added in an undertone. "Please say yes because if Magneto finds out the cold food is what killed you he might punish me." John said shuddering slightly at the thought of Magneto's super metal punishments. He'd never gotten one of course but Arclight had told him about them.

Rogue nodded and Pyro quickly made her food an edible temperature. As he exited Rogue called out to him, "You should try doing something that isn't for your own benefit once in a while." She was careful not to use either of his names.

Pyro paused and thought about that time a year ago almost when he didn't go after Rogue at the mansion. It was a sacrifice for Bobby and their friendship. After all you couldn't let a girl come in between friendship right? Needless to say it hadn't ended up well had it? Pyro thought about how he could say that in a way so that Rogue wouldn't really understand what he'd said and ended up replying with, "I tried that, you know where it landed me? Alone." Rogue watched him leave and wondered what in the name of god he was talking about.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer:I own nothing

A/N: Many thanks to all my reviewers

A/N 2: Thanks to my beta reader

Click…swish…click…swish

Pyro kept flicking his lighter open and shut. A bad habit he'd had since his mutant powers developed. Normally it would bother people, mainly Magneto, but he figured it wouldn't bother anyone right now, considering he was in his own room. A jail cell as Rogue had put it. He glanced at the clock it was 10, hardly the time to fall asleep and put out his thoughts of Rogue.

No he could not think about Rogue he decided. Anything she said or did.

It seemed for a small while his mission against thinking anything 'Rogue' lasted about three minutes before she creeped into his mind again. He thought to hell with that idea it wasn't as if thinking about her was taboo. As he rolled over on his side he wondered if she was right. Could he survive if he kept part of himself locked up and let it die? But wasn't that the point in joining Magneto's Brotherhood? To let the human part, the weak part, of him die so he would show no weakness? So he would be cruel and merciless?

Magneto let Erik die, didn't he? Nobody ever called Magneto, Erik. Well except for the Professor, but the Professor didn't really count, did he? The Professor and Magneto have known each other for over forty years. It could simply be that the Professor couldn't call Magneto Erik. That maybe he was simply too used to calling Magneto Erik. He rolled onto his back and started playing with his Zippo once more. He looked over his shoulder to see the clock and saw that it was 2 in the morning. He had been thinking about what Rogue said for the past four hours.

He sighed and got out of bed. There was no point in pretending that her words didn't affect him because the truth was, and he would deny this to anyone and everyone except for the deepest part of himself that somehow seemed to have survived Pyro's wrath, Rogue's words were making him question everything he was at the moment living for. Who was right, Professor Xavier or Magneto? Could he continue to live this masquerade, pretending that every time he killed someone, or watched Magneto kill someone, part of him wanted to just break down? (He was quite sure that if Bobby had ever told him something like this when they were roomed together he would have laughed but now here he was all alone thinking about it…like the weakling Bobby was) Could he pretend every time he watched someone die he wondered if what he was helping Magneto do would really help mutant kind in the long run? The question that he asked himself over and over since Rogue had shown up in his life once more, and the one that rattled him the most was, did he make the worst mistake of his life when he walked off of the jet at Alkali Lake, leaving his friends behind on the spur of the moment?

Pyro got out of his bed and started to walk down the halls aimlessly, until he found himself outside of Rogue's room. Funny, he thought, that he would end up at the cause of his self doubt. He opened her door a little bit, just to check on her and see if she ate anything. It looked like she picked at her food, which didn't surprise him because it was Toad's cooking and you never knew what anything in the food was. He thought that is was meatloaf, but Toad swore it was pizza. Pyro was about to leave when the moon shifted positions and illuminated her body.

She was all twisted in her blankets. She was tossing and turning as if she wasn't really sleeping at all. The thing that shocked him was the sweat that glistened off her body, considering it was freezing in her room (Magneto couldn't really afford heating seeing as how he was supposed to be an evil, cold villain. It would ruin his reputation if he had heating). It looked like she was in a middle of a nightmare from the way she kept calling out for Bobby and Logan and every now then whispering a soft no in a pained voice.

He left her room for a minute and grabbed a spare blanket from a closet near by. He walked back into her room, shut the door, and switched on the lamp. It shed just enough of the dim light for him to make out her facial expressions. He was mildly surprised that she didn't wake up from the light because when they were at the mansion together she had always been a pretty light sleeper. When she rolled over onto her other side and appeared to be pulled deeper into her nightmare John knew that he had to wake her.

"Rogue," He whispered in an attempt to wake her. When she didn't wake up to his voice he laid the blanket over her shoulder and gently shook her. This time her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"John," She whispered as her eyes adjusted to the light. She said this in mild shock because in her half-awake state she momentarily forgot that she was in the Brotherhood's Lair, or at least this is how John interpreted it.

"Yeah I'm here," He responded, thankful that he was able to wake her before she woke up anybody else because Magneto was not very pleasant man to deal with if he was woken up in the middle of the night and it wasn't an emergency. Suddenly, much to John's surprise and, he would never admit this to anyone least of all himself, delight; Rogue sat up and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm glad you're okay," She whispered in his ear in that same soft voice. Before he could respond she detached herself from him and seemed to reconnect with reality. "What are you doing here?" She asked remembering that he seemed to hate her earlier, "And what's this?" She said noticing the new blanket.

"I heard you talking in your sleep so I woke you up to see if you were okay. Plus I thought it would be really bad if you got louder and woke up Magneto. I brought in the blanket because it is freezing in here, for one, and it could act as barrier between our skins so when I shook you I wouldn't end up in a coma. Is any of this a problem?" He asked deciding to not ask about her comment about him being okay.

"No, it's not a problem. Thank you and I'm sorry I woke you up."

"You didn't wake me up," He assured her. He studied her face closely before continuing. "I couldn't sleep so I was walking around when I heard you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Pyro. I'm fine," Rogue made sure she called him Pyro, the name he was  
determined to become. She wanted to do something semi-nice for him because he was being nice to her…or at least as nice a person of the Brotherhood was allowed to be.

"No you aren't okay, Rogue. I can tell because whenever you lie about something that bothers you, you start twirling your lock of white hair around your index finger," He informed her, noticing how she had called him Pyro and realized that he wanted her to call him John again. Rogue, being oblivious to his wish to be called John, blushed when she realized that she was in fact playing with her white hair.

"Well maybe something is wrong," She conceded, but then quickly added, "But that doesn't mean I want to talk about it."

"Fair enough," John replied. He looked at her face and decided that he could confide in her and fill her in on what was bugging him. After all she never told people at the mansion that he was thinking about running away or burning the place to the ground (now what student didn't dream of burning their school to the ground?) during their late night ice cream encounters. She had even managed to make him think logically and realize that it was a bad idea, well until the night of Stryker's attack. Here goes he thought, "Hey Rogue, can I ask you a question?" He asked swallowing most of his pride and looking at her.

"You mean a second question, because you just asked me one." She replied playfully. When she saw his face she responded seriously, "Sure, as long as it doesn't have to do with me leaving Xavier's or what's bothering me."

"Who do you think is right, Magneto or the Professor?"

Rogue pondered the question for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully; she didn't want to offend John again! "I think that they're both right because in the end they both want the same thing, peace between mutants and humans. Whether humans co-exist with mutants or they are completely obliterated. That's where they're differences start." When Rogue saw John's expression she had to refrain from laughing out loud, and she elaborated, "The difference between them is that the Professor wants a peaceful co-existence, while Magneto would be happy with the humans in chains, though I think he'd preferably want them dead."

John thought about what Rogue said and he had to admit there seemed to be a logic to her thinking so he decided to continue his quest for information, "Who do you think will have predicted the future?"

"That one is tough." Rogue chewed he bottom lip trying to decide what she believed would be the end result of the war for existence of Mutants. John wanted that expression on her face to stay; he felt like he was falling for her all over again. If he wasn't so enthralled by the variety of expressions on Rogue's face he probably would have smacked himself. Shaking his head of his thoughts he looked back to her, after all he really did want her to answer. He hoped that she would say Magneto would be right in the end and set his mind to rest.

"Same answer as before." The sound of her voice snapped John out of his daydream. "I think that they'll both happen. I truly believe that humans and mutants can live together in harmony, but whether that peace is achieved in ten years or two hundred, I have no idea. I think that there won't be peace between us until we see each others as equals with only the x-gene separating us. Mutants aren't freaks of nature and we definitely aren't gods. Humans aren't the normal breed and they aren't creatures to be tamed to do tricks.

"As long as one group refuses to see the other as their equal they will try to prove their dominance by enslaving the other." When Rogue noticed John's downcast expression she asked, even though she already knew his answer, "That isn't what you wanted to hear, is it?"

"No," he answered. "I will deny this if you ever repeat it to anybody, but I'm re-thinking my decision to leave Xavier's."

"John," Rogue began, unable to stop herself from speaking his true name, thinking that old habits would die hard and she would keep calling him John until he told her to stop, "I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear. My reason for this is 1) I don't know what you want to hear really… I've never have been great in that reading minds department unless I touch someone and 2) I hate lying and if I tell you what you want to hear I might be lying to you. I can't tell you what's in the future. I'm not an oracle and Destiny's powers have long worn off. I'm giving you my opinion and thoughts on what will happen based on my experiences and the voices inside my head."

"I will tell you this however, in terms of surviving long enough to see the outcome of human-mutant relations; Magneto is probably your best bet. The Professor doesn't train his students to use their powers offensively against humans, but you already know that form Stryker's little visit."

"John, in the end who is right and who is wrong comes down to what you believe, so what do you believe?" She asked him as if it was that simple.

John thought about it for a while because he wanted to give Rogue an honest answer not the Magneto is right and the rest of the world is wrong crap she was half expecting. "I think that Xavier has the right idea to strive for peace between humans and mutants, but he is so busy protecting the humans he forgets that there are two sides to the coin. In doing that he lets us mutants and his students fall through the cracks.

"Magneto tries to protect mutants and his anger is fuelled by his own personal  
experiences. Magneto's anger really isn't anger at all though, it is fear. The fear of going through another Holocaust, so he protects the mutants and kills humans if it is a necessity, and doesn't get any enjoyment out of it because he doesn't want to become Hitler. I believe that Magneto is right and is this generation's savoir in making sure that there is another generation. The Professor is too focused on the future that if he was our savoir we would never see the next decade." He said ending his own opinions.

"See Pyro, that wasn't so hard was it? At Alkali Lake you made the best choice for you, no matter what Bobby or I thought. Remember that you are your own person and sometimes you need to take a different path from those of your friends in order to discover who you really are." Rogue said ecstatic that she was reaching him and, in turn, not receiving any sarcastic comments from him stating that he did not really care about what he was saying.

"Do you think I was right?" Neither Pyro nor Rogue could believe he had just asked that question.

"I don't know," Rogue answered honestly, even though she wanted to scream no. "If you think you were right then probably, but John you left us without even saying good-bye. It really is hard for me to sit here and tell you that you were right in leaving us, in leaving me, when it caused me so much pain. It hurt knowing that you left to go with the man who tried to kill me instead of staying with your friends," Rogue explained. Her voice cracked in the middle of the speech because saying it out loud brought back all the pain of the betrayal.

John wrapped his arms around Rogue, making sure that the blanket acted as a barrier, and pulled her close to him. Then he whispered in her ear one of the hardest things he had ever said, "I'm sorry Rogue. It was something I needed to do for me and if I had said good-bye, I never would have left." It seemed that ball of pride which he had swallowed had stayed down.

"I understand I do have you living in my head you know," Marie replied. John smiled, happy that she didn't hate him for leaving her. He slowly pulled himself off of her. "Good night, John. Don't tell me to call you Pyro. Professor gets to call Magneto Erik and they're old friends, so therefore I get to call you John, because we were friends."

"We still are. Rogue…"

"I'll call you Pyro when other people are around."

"Rogue…"

"Oh, my name's Marie."

"Rogue…"

"And…" Pyro couldn't take it anymore the inner fight within himself had to be stopped…plus she talked way too much. He pushed her down so she was laying  
flat on her bed. "I was never going to tell you not to call me John. I know that you'll call me whatever you choose to and I really get no say in the matter, because I'm not you. Get some sleep and I'll see you in a couple of hours when I escort you to breakfast. Good night, Marie." He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and left her room wishing he had kissed her lips, but partially glad he didn't because that might have scared her and he didn't want to lose talking to her just after he had started again. He was completely unaware that Rogue watched him leave and tried to take deep breaths to calm her racing heart.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers you are all beyond amazing.

A/N 2: Many thanks to my beta reader, LillithEvans

* * *

"Mystique, have you noticed that Pyro has only been making half-assed attempts in training?" Magneto asked because he was becoming perplexed with his prodigy's deteriorating progress.

"Yes, I have sir," responded Mystique who had also noticed the change in Pyro since he came to the Brotherhood.

"Do you think he regrets his choice to join us?"

"No, I think his passion is gone."

Rogue was brushing her hair when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in," she yelled figuring whoever it was would just come in anyway.

"Hey."

Rogue turned around and a small graced her lips as she saw John enter. "Hey yourself," she responded. John couldn't help but smile at her. He hoped that she wouldn't notice that he was nervous. After last night he didn't really know where they stood and he didn't want to admit it to himself but he really valued her friendship and he didn't want her to hate him. Rogue watched him shift from foot to foot and she knew immediately that something was on his mind and curiosity got to her, she really wanted to know. "What's the matter John, Sabertooth got your tongue?" She asked smiling cheekily.

"Huh," he responded having no idea what she was talking about.

"Wow, John. Where's your mind today?"

"Huh, oh yeah, sure Marie." Rogue had to bite back a laugh because it was obvious he wasn't paying any attention to her and his mind was elsewhere.

"So John about last night," Rogue began, grasping at straws to see if she could capture attention and it worked. His head immediately snapped to attention.

"What about last night?"

"Well, I really didn't have anything in particular I wanted to talk about, but since you are ignoring me I was trying to figure what was bugging you. You still trying to figure out if you made the right decision?" John let out a breath that hadn't realized he had been holding.

"No I'm not worried about that, thanks to you."

"Well since it sorta was my fault you were going out of your mind it was the least I could do. So what's bothering you?"

"Nothing, Marie it's just," he paused to take a deep breath, "I'm sorry."

Rogue fully knew that he was apologizing for giving her the kiss last night, but she didn't want him to be sorry. "For what? Waking me up in the middle of the night before I woke up everyone and pissed off Magneto. Please I should be thanking you for that. If you're freaking out about talking to me last night, it was… nice."

"Nice?" Pyro asked quizzically.

"Okay well nice-ish," she replied biting back a laugh.

"No, that's not what I'm sorry about is…" John finally connected the dots and figured out that she doesn't want him to be sorry. "Never mind, it's not important."

"Okay, well if you ever need to talk I'm here."

"Thanks," he responded wishing the awkwardness would disappear.

"But if you are going to be invading my bedroom again at all hours of the night, bring some ice cream." Marie looked at John's rather funny expression and started to giggle. John watched her giggle and remembered one of things that he hated about her, her laughter was infectious. He had to force himself not to laugh along with her because the Brotherhood saw that as a sign of weakness, but he was glad the ice was broken. Rather over a thousand miles away in the USA at Xavier's.

He took a couple steps towards Rogue and put his index finger to her lips. She immediately stopped laughing and became concerned about her powers working because she really didn't want to hurt him. She had no reason to worry though, because he had already stopped touching her lips.

"Sorry Marie, but for some reason Magneto hates it when people laugh. Some mutants here have exceptional hearing and I don't want you to be in trouble." John raked his hand through his hair worried that he had scared her off.

"Don't worry about it. You just startled me. I was scared I was going to hurt you. So if you need to shut me up, find another way that won't result in my powers hurting you."

"So if you start laughing again, you want me to grab you by the shoulders and pull you into my chest to muffle your laughing?" he responded teasingly.

"Sure, sounds good to me," Rogue replied in all seriousness. "So John, what are you doing in my room? Not that I'm adverse to your company, but I figured that you'd be, you know, busy doing official Brotherhood business."

"Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to escort you to breakfast."

"Great," she responded sarcastically.

"What Marie? Not up to handling the big bad Brotherhood."

"Don't be mean. Magneto did try to kill me, ya know." When John looked like he was opening his mouth to defend his mentor Rogue quickly continued, "Never mind, John. Lead the way."

Pyro lead her down various halls and into a dining room. Rogue halted when  
they came to the entrance. "Come on Rogue," Pyro said and he proceeded to  
drag her through the doorway.

The meal passed without any major incident. Rogue took her time to study all the mutants sitting around. She recognized Sabertooth, Toad, Destiny, and Mystique. There were three others that she had never met before. One, Pyro told her was named, Arclight. She projected shockwaves out of her hands. One had white hair, but Rogue couldn't tell much more about him because he finished eating in about five minutes and Rogue assumed he had super speed. She later learned that his name was Quicksilver. The last one was dressed in all red and her name was Scarlet Witch. When Rogue asked her about her powers she responded that she could change reality and increase odds.

After breakfast Pyro was escorting Rogue back to her room when they encountered Magneto. Pyro was expecting Rogue to cower in fear, but she surprised him by greeting Magneto first. She had figured that since she survived breakfast with the entire Brotherhood, she could greet Magneto without fear; after all he didn't despise her with passion right?

"Pyro, Rogue," Magneto said curtly.

"Sir."

"Magneto."

"Rogue, would you please accompany me? Since you will be a resident here, at least for the near future, I want to test your abilities. I might be able to find a way to put you to work." This statement shocked both Pyro and Rogue because they both thought that Magneto would want to keep Rogue as far away for battle as possible because Magneto wouldn't be too sure where her loyalty lay so she would be in a position to jeopardize the missions.

"Yes, sir," Rogue replied. Pyro watched the two of them round the corner before wandering off to spar with Quicksilver, no powers.

"Magneto," Rogue began hesitantly, "why do you want to test my abilities? I mean you know what my powers are, and how they can be useful, but I'm surprised you would trust me."

"Because my child, Destiny has seen your value as an addition to us. Also I sense that you have a score, or perhaps two, to settle with the X-men and we, the Brotherhood of Mutants, can offer a way to settle the said score." Magneto replied with blunt honesty.

Magneto led Rogue down a series of corridors and she tried to memorize them,  
but they all looked the same to her. They ended up in a room that had a window to overlook a room that was divided in half. One side looked like a gym and the other side looked like a combination of an obstacle course and an area. Rogue looked around to see if anybody else was around and she noticed Destiny.

"Rogue, wait here until Mystique comes. She will be testing you."

"Yes sir." Magneto exited the room. Rogue walked over to Destiny. She sat down and tried to decide whether or not to tell Destiny about her dream last night.

"Something on your mind Rogue?" Destiny asked.

"Yeah, I had this really weird dream last night and I was hoping maybe you could shed some light on it."

"I'll do my best."

"Okay well I was walking down this hallway when I saw Logan and Bobby standing in their X-men uniforms. They said something about taking me home, but I wouldn't go with them. I pushed open a door and there was a girl lying on an operating table, she couldn't have been more than twelve years old. The doctors called her Mutant test subject 345.

"I asked how they could protect these people. They were taking away this girl's life, the X-men were supposed to protect her and mutants like her. Logan started to drag me away and I started screaming 'Let Me Go!' Then Pyro came and started fighting Bob- I mean Iceman. Both of them rendered each other unconscious. Guys with guns came out and started attacking us and then I woke up."

"What was so weird about that dream Rogue? It just seems like a really bad nightmare to me."

"The dream itself wasn't weird, but the way I had it. It felt like I wasn't part of my own body. It was like I was having one of your visions from everybody's perspective except for mine."

"Well my opinion is that my powers resurfaced in your subconscious giving you a glimpse into the future. I don't know why you weren't yourself, though."

"Could it be because once I absorb someone else's powers they never really leave my head?"

"That could be it, but I really wouldn't know."

"Rogue, it's time for your testing session," Mystique stated as she entered the room.

"Okay, thanks for helping me Destiny." Rogue said offering the older woman a small smile and followed Mystique down a spiral staircase.

"Did I ever thank you for helping Destiny yesterday?" Mystique asked, thankful that this Rogue could help her friend even if Mystique herself couldn't.

"No you never did, but you don't really need to. It felt nice to help someone with my powers, I would have helped any of the Brotherhood, except maybe Toad, but I might have helped him too. It's Xavier's morals driven into my head." Mystique gave Rogue a sidelong glance before responding.

"Morals aren't a bad thing, I just gave them up a long time ago when my parents abandoned me." They reached a door and Mystique produced a key and opened it.

"Rogue what I'm going to do is test your endurance. I want you to start on the treadmill, then move to the bicycle and finally I want to test your upper body strength by seeing how many reps you can do."

"Okay." Rogue wasn't really worried about doing the test because Logan had been working to build up her endurance and Bobby would help before he decided to cheat on her. After about an hour of testing Mystique stopped her and motioned for Rogue to follow her into the next room. Rogue felt like her arms were going to fall off and she was amazed that she was able to walk into the next room.

"Now Rogue you did very well on the endurance test, good job I suppose. Now I want to see how you can fight after your energy reserves have been drained. You will be fighting me, feel free to use any of the objects in this room, but please refrain from using your powers."

"Will you be using your powers?" Rogue asked hoping she would say no because there was no way she would last more than five minutes if Mystique was using her powers. Hell she might not even last five minutes if Mystique wasn't using her powers.

"I haven't decided yet. Ready or not the test begins now." With that statement Mystique lunged at Rogue. Rogue had enough sense to dive out of the way. Mystique started punching Rogue. Rogue was able to block her punches and while Mystique was focusing on hitting Rogue, Rogue got a quick kick to her left shin. The moment it took Mystique to regain her balance was all Rogue needed.

Rogue hurriedly scrambled over to the climbing rope. She got about six feet up when Mystique started to grab the rope and began to pull it back in forth in an attempt to make Rogue fall off. Rogue had anticipated this and when she was close enough to the rope ladder she jumped off and caught on. Rogue got over the rope ladder and she found a stack of tires that probably would have been used to run through. She shoved them at Mystique and while Mystique dodged them easily Rogue wondered how long she could keep this up.

"What do you think Magneto?" asked Pyro as they watched the two women fight from the viewing window above.

"She has a great deal of endurance and strength; however she is relying on defense maneuvers," Magneto replied, and although he didn't show it, he was amazed that Rogue was able to last this long in a fight against Mystique.

"But given her powers isn't she better stalling until her opponent gets tired and she can absorb them, or another member of the Brotherhood can aid her?" Destiny asked as she joined the conversation.

"Yes, all in all I think that if we can gain her loyalty and train her a bit, she will be a valuable ally," Magneto stated, and with that Rogue's fate with the Brotherhood was sealed.

Below them Mystique was growing tired of the cat and mouse game. She transformed into a cheetah and race around the obstacles to get in front of Rogue. "Good job, but this game ends here." Mystique transformed into Logan and started to taunt Rogue, "What are you doing here kid? Didn't we treat you right? I promised to protect you, you were like a daughter to me and you repay me by joining the enemy."

"I didn't…" Rogue began, thrown off by seeing her surrogate father, even though she knew it was Mystique. Mystique continued to change into different people from Rogue's past and/or present, and she taunted Rogue. It didn't matter what she said, it just affected Rogue making the people in her head get louder. Mystique went form Magneto to John to Destiny to the Professor to Storm to Kitty and finally to Iceman.

"Come on Rogue," said Bobby/Mystique. "Come on home. You don't belong here. You belong back at the mansion with me. I don't care about your powers, I love you."

It was the last three words that caused Rogue to snap. She recalled how he had used this as a desperate attempt to make her stay after he cheated on her. "Shut up you cheating son of a bitch," she screamed at the Bobby figure. With that all the offensive powers she ever absorbed erupted. The Magneto in her began to bend the metal in the room, the temperature dropped and frost began to coat every surface, and a huge fire dragon came crashing down on Mystique and the source of dragon was from the tiny flame of John's Zippo for the viewing room.

Magneto and Pyro after witnessing what happening began to race down the stairs; well Pyro raced down the stairs, Magneto just broke the glass in the window and lowered himself to the ground, similar to his escape from his plastic prison. In the amount of time it took them to reach Rogue and Mystique everything had stopped and Rogue lay unconscious. Mystique had some cuts on her body, but that was the extent of the damage. She was able to turn her skin into a fire resistant alloy and she wasn't hurt.

Pyro came into the room and immediately raced to Rogue's side. He laid a hand over her chest and felt her heart and her steady breathing. Rogue began to stir and she opened her eyes she saw a concerned John staring at her.

"That was quite a show Rogue. When did you learn how to do that?" John asked.

"Well, when my meltdowns don't make me pass out I can tap into people's powers that I have already absorbed." John watched in amazement as the wounds healed themselves, obviously Logan's powers. "Am I in big trouble?" She asked scared.

Magneto heard her question as he was making sure Mystique was okay. "No  
Rogue you are not in any trouble. Pyro help Rogue to her room and have her stay there for the rest of the day, she has done more than enough training for today."

Pyro helped her walk up the stairs and into her room. He secretly loved that she was leaning on his chest for support. He helped her into her bed. "Stay here for the rest of the day Rogue, so you can regain your strength. I'll come by in a while to bring you your food."

"Okay, thank you John." True to his word John came back to bring Rogue both lunch and dinner, but she was sleeping so he decided not to wake her. John decided to check up on her before he went to bed. She was sitting up on her bed braiding her white streak of hair.

"Marie what are you doing?" John asked as he watched her continue to braid her hair.

"Trying to not be bored out of mind because there is nothing to do in here." John smiled.

"You feeling any better?"

"Yeah, thanks for leaving the food."

"It wasn't too cold?"

"It was fine. How's Mystique?"

"A few minor cuts and scrapes, but otherwise unharmed." John sat down on the bed next to Rogue.

"I'm glad; I didn't mean to hurt her. She just turned into Bobby and kept saying that he didn't care about my powers, but that was a bunch of bullshit. If he really didn't care about my powers he wouldn't have cheated on me." Rogue slapped a hand over her mouth when she realized that she just told John that Bobby had cheated on her.

"He cheated on you!" John asked his temper flaring up and his anger towards  
Bobby rising at the thought that he would do something to hurt Rogue.

"Yes, but John please calm down." As John looked at Rogue's pleading look, the same one that got Bobby and him to turn back to help Logan on the night of Stryker's attack, he relented.

"Fine, but only because he isn't here for me to kill."

Rogue's eyes widened and she asked John, "You wouldn't really kill him, would you John?"

"No because it would upset you."

"You're right it probably would upset me because I can't be a cold blooded murderer and if I let you do that I would be a murderer."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you. To tell you the truth I'm not sure I could kill someone unless they did something to really deserve it." _Like hurt you_ he added inside his head. Rogue smiled at this, glad the John she knew was still there.

"John," Rogue began hesitantly, partly because she was scared he would say no and partly because she couldn't believe what she was about to ask, "Will you stay here with me? At least until I fall asleep. I mean if you don't want to that's understandable, but…" John cut her off.

"Sure I'll stay here with you Marie."

"Thanks." Rogue lay down and John lay next to her making sure a sheet stayed  
between their skin as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. John closed his eyes and as he drifted to sleep he thought that this felt right. Rogue fell into a peaceful sleep and she would later realize that this was one of the best nights of sleep she'd had in a long time.

As Magneto and Mystique were walking down the hallway to look for Pyro, Mystique suggested they look in Rogue's room. She commented on how Pyro really cared about her and since he wasn't in his room or the gym he would probably be with her. Magneto opened the door silently and they saw John holding Rogue, both of them fast asleep.

Magneto moved to wake John, but before he could Mystique stopped him. "Don't  
Erik."

"Why?" Magneto asked a little annoyed that Mystique decided that she could tell him what to do.

"Because I think Pyro's passion is back." With that Magneto and Mystique left the two teens alone.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:I own nothing

A/N:Many thanks to LillithEvans for the beta

Rogue and Pyro fell into a pattern. Every day Pyro would take her to breakfast because Magneto didn't fully trust her to not run back to the X-men and tell about the Brotherhood. Then Rogue would go to endurance and strength training with Mystique. They would eat lunch together before Pyro had to go to training with the rest of the Brotherhood and Mystique would work with Rogue on keeping her anger in check and shutting up the people in her head. After dinner John and Rogue would just hang out in her room, except for when Magneto tried to help her control her powers about twice a week.

Pyro loved every minute he spent with Rogue. He never really realized how much he missed her until she came back into his life. One night he was just  
staring at her after a comfortable silence fell between them. He was amazed at the fact that she could stand to be in the same room with him let alone spend all of her free time with him after he left her at Alkali Lake.

Rogue noticed him looking at her. "What?"

"Nothing Marie. It's just that you are so beautiful."

"Thanks sugah, but I don't believe that's the only thing on your mind"

John just gave her a small smile and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm just trying to figure out why you spend time with me. It's not like I deserve any of your attention." Rogue smiled and wondered why John could think he didn't deserve any of her time? She decided to have a little fun with him.

"Well my choices were spend time with you or spend time with Toad. You won, but just barely." When Rogue noticed his face fall she added, "Kidding. John what would make you think you don't deserve my attention?"

"Well, I just kind of assumed that you would hate me after I left you at Alkali Lake."

"John I could never hate you. I mean I assure you that back then I was mad and hurt by your actions, but I got over it when I realized being mad at you wouldn't bring you back."

"I'm sorry." John avoided looking her in her eyes.

"Hey," she poked him lightly to get him to look at her, "It's alright. People make mistakes and in all honesty I'm trying to figure out if I made a mistake by not following you. We've been through this before; it was your choice to make." John gave her a small smile and started running his fingers through her hair.

"Something else bugging you John?"

"Nah, I'm just a little worried about the mission tomorrow."

"There's a mission tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Nice of you to tell me about it."

"Sorry, I thought I did."

"What are you guys going to be doing?"

"We're gathering some information. Magneto thinks there might be somebody  
following in Stryker's footsteps and he wants to find out who."

"Do ya think the X-men will be there?"

"Na, Magneto's been careful to make our visits to government agents seem  
random and unpredictable."

"Okay, well be careful."

"Aren't I always?" He said smugly with a small smirk on his face which was clearly wiped off when he thought about it for a moment then added, "Don't answer that."

"Kay."

"I should probably get to my room and get some sleep for tomorrow. I'll probably be gone before you get up."

"Fine, just come back safe."

"I will, don't worry about me Marie."

"You always tell me not to worry whenever you go on a mission, but I always do."

Truthfully John was glad she worried about him, it showed him that she cared. However Quicksilver had told him during training once that when he was on a mission Rogue did everything half-heartedly and that worried him.

"And I always come back fine."

"Well at least we have a tradition."

"Marie," he responded sternly to her joking manner.

"I can't help worry about you, I don't know what I would do if you didn't come back," Rogue responded close to hysterics. John wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to calm her down.

"Shh, Marie don't worry about that. I'm going to come back, I promise."

"You swear?"

"If I'm lying I'll give you my lighter and my other sources of fire to keep until you think I'm trustworthy again."

Marie smiled and rolled over on to her side so she could face John. "I believe you," she whispered and she kissed his shoulder lightly. John smiled and wrapped his arms around her tighter. He doubted if Rogue realized, but that was the first time he wasn't the one initiating contact.

"Hey Marie, can you remember something for me?"

"Sure."

"I need you to remember that if for some reason if I don't make it back you are strong enough to survive here and anywhere else. You don't need me to protect you, but I will as long as I am able to. Just always remember you are strong, beautiful and capable of anything you set your mind to."

"John, is there a reason you're going all mushy on me?" He playfully stuck his tongue out at her.

"Yes, Quicksilver told me that you aren't yourself when I'm not here and it worries me."

"Sorry."

"Hey it's okay I just want you to be able to relax when I'm not around."

"I'll try."

"That's all I want."

"Aren't you supposed to be in your room sleeping?"

"Probably, but I'm going to stay here tonight and if I have to beg for Magneto's forgiveness for spending the night here so be it. As long as that's okay with you?"

"Course it is sugah. Good night, John."

"Night Marie. Sweet dreams."

The next morning when Rogue woke up Pyro was gone. She got dressed and headed down to the kitchen to make herself some pancakes.

"Aren't you supposed to have an escort?" Scarlet Witch asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Well yeah, but Pyro's on a mission and I didn't think the Brotherhood here would really mind."

"You're probably right, Rogue."

"Want some?" Rogue asked as she gestured to the pancakes she was making for her breakfast.

"Sure, so are you and Pyro like dating?" Scarlet Witch asked randomly

"I'm actually not sure. We never really talked about whether we were seeing each other, but I really like him. Why?" Rogue answered turning her glance from the pancakes she was making to Scarlet Witch.

"I was just wondering, curiosity if you'd like to call it that. So how's your training coming a long?"

"Pretty good, I think. Mystique hasn't complained at all. She just nods and says okay 'moving on'."

"Are you training today?"

"I don't know."

"How about we train together, it might be good to work with new person."

"Who do you normally train with?" Rogue asked as she served pancakes to Scarlet Witch and herself. The pancakes were a light golden brown, Rogue thought happily. She cooked something! It didn't burn! This in her book was a minor miracle.

"Normally I train with Arclight, but we're starting to predict each others moves so our performances have suffered."

"Sure that sounds good and I definitely need something to keep my mind off of Pyro."

Scarlet Witch finished eating and rinsed off her plate in the sink. "Nice pancakes Rogue. I'm ready to work, how about you?"

"Yeah, let's go." Rogue answered delighted that someone else agreed that her pancakes were good. Logan would be…well actually he would just eat up the pancakes and wouldn't really care who made them as long as they tasted good. The two girls walked to the gym and started their endurance training. Scarlet Witch gave Rogue some pointers because she had been through all a lot of the training before. After sometime they took a quick break for lunch, they started to spar.

They were pretty equally matched with out powers. When Rogue punched Scarlet Witch blocked and vice-versa. After about thirty minutes of sparring without powers Rogue suggested they try with powers. She knew she really didn't have a chance, but she had never actually seen Scarlet Witch's powers, and was slightly curious.

Scarlet Witch started to hex things in the room. Rogue and Scarlet Witch were still fighting in hand to hand combat so Witch thought that she would catch Rogue off-guard. Luckily, for Rogue, Logan's senses detected the things flying at her. Rogue thought about ducking but she knew that the tires would just follow her, and then the answer hit her.

She kept blocking Scarlet Witch and right before the tires reached her she put her hands on Scarlet Witch's shoulders and flipped herself over her head and landed right behind her. Scarlet Witch found herself trapped in the tires.

"Wow Rogue, where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Gymnastics for ten years, pre-powers."

"Uh Rogue, do you think you can help me get out of this? I need to use my hands to use my powers and my hands are…" Rogue looked down and saw Scarlet Witch's hands trapped at her side. Rogue gave a small laugh and started pulling tires off of Scarlet Witch.

"Well at least I know one thing," Rogue commented as she pulled the tires off of Witch.

"What's that?"

"Mystique's strength exercises really pay off." Witch laughed and the two girls spent the rest of the day relaxing after deciding that they worked enough for the day.

Meanwhile the mission had hit a snag.

Magneto was waiting outside with Destiny for Pyro and Mystique to exit from the building after they get the information they need. Sabertooth and Quicksilver were on the other side standing on guard if they were discovered and needed to make a speedy exit. What they were all unaware of was that their communication devices were broken.

Pyro and Mystique had successfully infiltrated the government building. Mystique was gathering the necessary information from the computer. Normally she would do this alone, but Destiny said she needed back-up. Why asked Magneto logically since his best team member hadn't ever needed backup? Destiny had answered that she had had a vision.

"Done," she informed Pyro and she assumed the rest of the time.

"Okay let's go," he replied, eager to get back to Rogue, and perhaps it made him a little cocky and careless. They stealthily exited, and neither of them realized until it was too late that Mystique was in her blue form and there were many security cameras on the way. They were almost to the door when the place started to go into lockdown.

"Die Mutant Scum!"

"Pyro back the other way," Mystique called. "Magneto, Magneto do you read me?" there was nothing, but static on the other end. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" Pyro called back as they weaved their way through out the halls trying to find a way to escape.

"Nobody's answering."

"So we got to deal with who knows how many guys with guns, and find a way out  
on our own?"

"Yep, that's about it."

"Fun!" Pyro flicked open his lighter and torched the guys behind them. Mystique veered right and he followed. "Where are we going?"

"Roof." She flipped over a guard and knocked the gun out of his hand, before grabbing it to shoot anyone who got in their way. As they fought their way through the guards in an attempt to get to the roof top, Sabertooth was getting impatient.

"Shouldn't they be out by now?" he asked Quicksilver.

"Calm down big guy. Magneto knows what he's doing and so do Pyro and Mystique."

"Maybe but…" Sabertooth paused as his keen eyesight detected something Quicksilver could not, "They're locked in."

"What?" Quicksilver asked not believing Mystique would be so careless as to get caught.

"Magneto, Magneto," Sabertooth called into the communicator, but all he received was static. "Shit," he muttered under his breath.

"Quicksilver run over to the other side and tell Magneto that we have a problem."

"I still don't think we have a problem."

"Then run past the door and see for yourself that Pyro and Mystique are trapped inside." Quicksilver rolled his eyes, but when he past the door and saw it was the iron gates down he ran faster to reach Magneto, who was not suspecting anything was wrong.

"Magneto we got a problem," stated Quicksilver as he appeared in front of them.

"What is it Quicksilver?" asked Magneto irritated that he deliberately disobeyed his orders.

"Mystique and Pyro are trapped inside and the communicators are busted." Magneto's face paled when he heard this.

"How do we get them out?" Destiny asked looking to Magneto for direction. While Magneto started to formulate a plan he heard, rather felt, gunshots coming from inside the building. The sudden movement of metal alerted him to the fact that there really wasn't anything they could do except wait and if they don't make it out if five minutes they need to leave and cut there losses.

"We don't we wait and give them five minutes. Quicksilver tell Sabertooth to get over here, it's time to go." Neither Destiny nor Quicksilver wanted to leave Mystique and Pyro to die, but they knew their place nor could they question his authority.

Back in the building Pyro and Mystique had made it to the rooftop exit. Mystique pulled down the escape ladder. "This is our stop," she called to Pyro.

"You first, I'll hold them off." Mystique didn't question him and climbed up the ladder. When Pyro saw she was up he started to follow, but it was difficult to climb and keep the guards busy at the same time.

"Hurry up Pyro," Mystique called, knowing that Magneto wouldn't wait much longer before leaving without them. Pyro was almost at the top of the ladder when he stopped controlling the fire. As he was hoisting himself up the guards fired. As he pulled himself up he felt a searing pain through his right leg as a bullet hit him.

Mystique closed the opening to the roof and went over to check on Pyro. "Are  
you alright, Pyro?"

"My leg," he whimpered as he clutched his leg trying to stop the tears of pain, because evil villains weren't supposed to cry.

"Can you walk?"

"Maybe," he replied as he struggled to his feet. He took two steps before falling down, "Scratch that, I can't walk."

"How do we contact Magneto to tell him we're out, and I'm not leaving you," She added before he suggested that she go tell Magneto.

"Like this," he responded and sent a huge pillar of fire up. Sabertooth saw it first and climbed up the wall to get to the roof.

"You guys alright?" he questioned because he heard the gun shots.

"Pyro's shot and he can't walk," Mystique replied before John could. Sabertooth groaned before grabbing Pyro and throwing him into a fireman's carry. Mystique turned into a hawk and flew over to Magneto to inform him that Pyro and Sabertooth were on their way. This was very embarrassing; that was the last thought John had as Sabertooth carried him and put him down in the helicopter before he faded into unconsciousness.

Rogue and Scarlet Witch were talking when the group came back from the mission. Normally Pyro was the first one off of the copter because he wanted to find Rogue, but this time he didn't come look for her. Rogue didn't see Magneto or Mystique around either so she decided to ask Destiny what happened. Destiny told her to look in the med. bay, and Rogue felt like her heart stopped when she heard that.

She ran into the room and she saw Pyro lying on the bed. "What happened!" She shouted obviously very distressed.

"Rogue you need to calm down," Mystique stated calmly.

"Calm down! You want me to calm down when Pyro is lying unconscious on a medical table, have you lost your mind?"

"Rogue he will be fine," stated Magneto evenly not attempting to force the girl to calm down. "He got shot in the leg escaping from the building. He lost a lot of blood that is why he is unconscious. All his vitals are stable, so all we can do is wait until he wakes up. Now if you will excuse me I have to go study the information Pyro and Mystique retrieved on this mission." Magneto started to exit then he paused and turned around to look at Rogue,

"Tomorrow you will be training with the rest of the Brotherhood to prepare for this mission."

"But…" Rogue began to protest.

"This matter is not up for discussion so unless you want to discover how I respond to disobedience from my team I suggest you do what I say," Magneto replied starting to lose his temper. After he left Mystique sent her a semi- sympathetic look as she also exited.

Rogue stuck her tongue out at the empty door before going to sit next to John. "Hey John," Rogue said starting to talk to him, "I missed you today. You'd better wake up soon because I don't know what I will do tomorrow with training if you aren't me to tell me that it will be fine.

"I probably wouldn't believe you, but it is always nice to hear. Next time you go on a mission I'm going to worry more, or come with you, probably the latter." Rogue felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. She moved onto the ground next to him and she held his hand. "John please wake up soon. I miss you." The tears began to flow freely as she lost track of the time she sat next to him holding his hand. She felt a soft squeeze on her hand and looked up to see John's brown eyes.

"Hey," he whispered.

"You're awake," Rogue said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah," he replied as he gently moved the hair away from her eyes.

"How ya feeling?"

"My leg hurts and I'm tired, but other than that I'm fine."

"Okay well I'll go and let you get your sleep," Rogue said and started to leave thankful that Pyro had woken up rather quickly.

"Stay," he said as he caught her hand. "Stay here with me tonight, please."  
Rogue gave him her signature smile and nodded her head. John moved over to  
give her room to sleep. She laid her head on his chest. "Comfortable?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm great. Hey Marie, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Getting hurt."

"It's okay. At least you didn't die, because if you died I'd have to resurrect you so I could kill you," She paused the added, "After I kill you I'd have to resurrect you again because I'd miss you too much to be without you." She smiled down at him and he laughed lightly. She put her arm around his waist and closed her eyes.

"Night John."

He kissed the top of her head. "Good-night Marie," he replied before following her lead and falling asleep.

Tell me what you think


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer:I own nothing

A/N:Many thanks to lillith evans for the beta

John woke up the next morning expecting to find Rogue next to him, but she wasn't in the room. He frowned and wondered where she was; he swung his legs over the bed. He winced at the shooting pain down his right leg and he landed back on the bed. John tried to think of another way to look for Rogue when he noticed a note on the table next to him.

_John, __  
__Hey sugah, sorry I couldn't be there when you woke up, but I needed to wake up for an early breakfast. Magneto informed me that I'm starting training with the Brotherhood today and I didn't really want to find out what would happen if I ditched. I'll come back and visit after training. __  
__XOXO, __  
__Rogue __  
_  
He sighed and wondered what he should do until Rogue came back. He glanced at the lock and saw that it was after ten o'clock; Rogue would be in the middle of training right now. John tried to get up again figuring that he could go and check on Rogue. He winced when he landed on his leg, but he moved the weight off of it quickly. John managed to more or less limp to the viewing room.

He looked down and saw Rogue fighting with the Brotherhood. He felt a surge of emotions running through him as he watched her fight. He was proud of her for holding her own. Amazed at how well she was fighting, she was using his own power for Christ's sake. A little jealous that she was training with the Brotherhood and he wasn't. There was another emotion, but he couldn't name it.

"She's been making amazing progress," Magneto stated.

"Why is she training with us now?" Pyro asked because he didn't know of anything Rogue did to prove her loyalty to the Brotherhood. As far as he knew Magneto didn't train people against their will because they couldn't be trusted.

"We will need all the help we can get with this upcoming mission." Pyro looked at Magneto and raised his eyebrow at the mention of a mission. "Through the information you and Mystique retrieved we have located the place where they are experimenting on mutants."

"Will Rogue be coming with us?" Pyro asked nonchalantly.

"Yes."

"Does she have to go?"

"I'm not going to be the one to tell her she's not coming." Magneto gave a small smile as he remembered Rogue's reaction to the mission briefing.

Flashback:

_"Ah, Rogue so nice of you to join us," Magneto called as she entered the viewing room ten minutes after he started the mission briefing. Not that he expected anything else from her. _

_"Sorry," she responded even though she was anything but. _

_"As I was saying in two weeks we will be infiltrating the Mutant Affairs Center." _

_"Why? They help mutants find jobs." _

_"On the public areas, yes they do. However do you know what the jobs are? They test on mutants to find a cure or worse to turn them into a perfect weapon. Not only do they capture the adults they take their whole family and erase any mention of them. Rogue do you understand that they are experimenting on mutants as young as seven?" _

_"What!" Rogue screamed her blood boiling. She wasn't sure if it was because she was just upset about them hurting young kids or if it was because of the rush of Magneto's memories from being in the concentration camp, Logan's memories of being experimented on, Or her dream of the young girl being tortured. "I'm coming with." _

_"Rogue you might be forced to kill, honestly I don't think you can do that." _

_Rogue frowned at him and pursed her lips together as she thought of how to phrase what was on her mind. Somehow she didn't think that 'I'm going in there to kick the bitches asses who think they can take away the lives of kids and theirs nothing you can do to stop me' then sticking her tongue out at him, would be appropriate so she settled for… "Magneto these people don't care who you are as a person. They see you for a mutant and they won't hesitate to kill you, whether you are a kid or an adult. It was their choice to make and I think they should learn that choices have consequences." _

_"So can you kill them and work with us." _

_"Yes Magneto I can kill people who deserve it, and these monsters do." _

_"What makes you think I will let you come with?" _

_"You want me to come to training for a reason, this is it. Besides who is going to tell me I'm not going?" Rogue asked and with the last statement she started to cover the room with frost and lift the table off the floor. _

_  
__"I see you've been practicing." With that Rogue was officially in the Brotherhood. _

End Flashback

"So she has control now?" Pyro asked as he gestured to Rogue as she ripped apart the robot with Magneto's powers.

"Of everyone else's powers yes, of her own not as of yet." They finished fighting the robots Sabertooth made some comment to Rogue. Pyro couldn't hear what Rogue said, but it looked like it was something like, back off if you value your life. Sabertooth started towards her, but Rogue set a stream of ice towards him. It flew over his shoulder harmlessly, but it was enough, along with Rogue starting to pull off her glove, to make him back off. After witnessing Rogue defend herself he turned around and went back to his room.

He was upset that Rogue didn't need him to protect her, even though he told her she didn't need him, he didn't believe it himself. As he sat in his room deciding whether to or not to go find Rogue he heard his door creak open softly. He looked up and saw Rogue stick her head in hesitantly. "Hey John," She called to him softly. He looked up at her then returned to playing with his lighter. "John are you mad at me?" She asked a slight tremor in her voice.

John looked up sharply at her. "No Rogue, I'm not mad at you."

"Then why did you just call me Rogue."

"Sorry Marie, I didn't mean to call you that. It is just that you introduced me to you as Rogue and I've got a lot on my mind, so I'm not thinking straight. I'm not mad at you at all." Rogue frowned at him, not believing him. He motioned for her to come into his room instead of standing at the doorway.

"If you're not mad at me then how come you didn't stay in the viewing room to see me?"

"I just…" John paused trying to think of how to continue.

"You know what John? You are mad at me. You left before saying hi to me. Don't deny being upset with me. Hell, John you won't even look me in the eye. I bet that Magneto had you be nice to me just so I would join the Brotherhood. What are you mad at me now because I was able to fight today and didn't fall flat on my face?" Rogue shook her head and tried to blink back tears. She really cared about John and it was killing her that he wouldn't even look her in the eye. If he hated her he could at least tell her what he hated. "Screw you Pyro."

As Rogue turned around and started to run out of his room. John saw her storming out and he thought for a moment that he was loosing her. He started to follow her out of his room, wincing with every step. He quickly grabbed her wrist. He pulled her to look at him. "Rogue…Marie do you mean anything you just said?"

"I don't know John. I'm used to you being there for me. Supporting me in what ever I do, whether I fail or not."

"I am Marie. I am incredibly proud of you for fighting with the Brotherhood. I was so proud of you for telling Sabertooth off and actually making him back off. It took me over a month to do that, and even though you've been here longer the longest you've seen him is for like ten minutes."

"So why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you Marie. It is impossible for me to be mad at you for more than about thirty seconds." Rogue frowned and tried to figure out a reason for John's behavior. "Can we go back in?" John asked as he gestured to his room, "I'm not sure how much more my leg can stand." Rogue nodded her head mutely and followed him into his room.

"If you are not mad at me, then why are you ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you I'm just…"

"You're just what John?"

"I'm acting like a twelve year old so it doesn't matter what I say. So let's just forget I ever said anything okay? Great."

"Not okay John. Tell me what was bothering you. You never cared about acting like a twelve year old before, so you shouldn't care now."

"But Marie…"

"Don't 'but Marie' me. Tell me why you have been avoiding me because until I know I'm not sure how much I can trust you. I can't be around you not knowing when you will start avoiding me and be mad at me for no apparent reason. Not knowing what I did wrong. Oh my god, I sound just like my mother." John gave a small laugh at her last comment.

"Okay here's what it is. When I saw you fighting alongside the Brotherhood and standing up to Sabertooth I realized that you don't need me to protect you."

"Didn't you tell me that I don't need you to protect me before you left for the mission?"

"Well, yeah, but it didn't sink in 'til I saw you protecting yourself without me and I just felt like I was back at Xavier's, having someone else take care of you when that is what I felt like I should be doing." It suddenly clicked in Rogue's mind what was bugging John, and she knew what to say to make him return to the boy she was crazy about.

"John, look at me," Rogue said softly, but sternly as she pulled his chin so he was looking at her. "John, just because I don't need you to protect me doesn't mean I don't need you."

"Marie, I don't need your pity."

"What pity? I need you. At night I've grown so used to feeling your body heat next to me that when you're on an overnight mission I have to get two extra blankets just to feel warm enough to fall asleep. I need you to tell me that everything is going to be okay whenever I feel depressed. Hell, John I need you to keep me sane. If I was here without you, I'd go crazy and probably try to kill everybody here and end up with dish duty for the next twenty years!" She said cracking a small smile at even her bad attempt at a joke.

"And needing you aside, I want you. I want you to be near me. I want you to talk to me about anything. I want you to protect me, sometimes. I want you, only you. This is not like Xavier's. Bobby is not going to come and take me away. Just because I can take care of myself doesn't mean I'm going to leave you, you should know me better than that."

John wrapped his arms around Rogue, pulled her closer and laid his chin on top of her head. "I do know you better than that. The sane part of me is telling me that this is different, but a part of me just can't. I don't know why, but I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I forgive you." Rogue took a deep breath trying to remember this moment. "So are you going to be ready for the mission?"

"Are you going?"

"Yes."

"Then, I'll have to be ready." Rogue smiled, touched by his concern to go everywhere with her. Rogue detached herself from him and slowly got up. When John raised his eyebrow at her she explained.

"I'm hungry so I'm gonna go grab something to eat from the kitchen. You want  
anything?" John shook his head 'no' and Rogue left his room.

Three weeks later: Rogue and Pyro were lying on his bed talking about the mission tomorrow.

"Are you sure that you are okay for the mission tomorrow?"

"For the millionth time, yes Marie I'm fine."

"Do you think the X-men will be there?"

"Maybe, you think you can face them?"

"I don't know. Jubilee, Kitty, Peter, Storm, no problem. Logan, Bobby and Scott, I could have some difficulty just because I knew them better. Logan would be the hardest, but I find it hard to believe that he would defend people who are making mini-hims."

"When the time comes, you'll be fine." He gently kissed the top of her head and he pulled the blankets tighter around them. John was really nervous about tomorrow 'cause he didn't want Rogue to get hurt. He swore to himself that if he saw Bobby he would burn his ass for hurting Rogue. When he heard Rogue's steady breathing signaling she was asleep he whispered the words that she needed to hear in case anything bad happened tomorrow, "I love you."

"Love you too," Rogue said, although it came out more 'luv u oo'. John smiled thrilled that she felt the same way about him as he looked on at the girl beside him. Rogue looked completely different when she slept. He wrapped his arms around her and fell asleep, living in the moment because tomorrow their world could come crashing down.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Many thanks to Lillith Evans for the beta.

Disclaimer:I own nothing.

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John laid in bed, running his hands through Rogue's hair. He knew he should wake her up. Magneto would be furious if they were late to the War Room for last minute instructions on the mission. After waiting for a few more minutes he gently began to wake up. "Marie, Marie you need to wake up." No response. "Come on Marie, you have to wake up, we need to get ready for the mission." Nada. "Marie when I count to three and snap my fingers you will wake up. 1…2…3." He snapped his fingers, again nothing. Pyro was running out of ideas when he saw the corner of her lips curl up at the corners in a failed attempt to keep from smiling. John got another idea to wake her up, and he guessed it was what Rogue was waiting for.

"Alright you win Sleeping Beauty," John said as he leaned down and softly kissed Rogue's lips.

Her eyes fluttered open the second John broke the kiss. "Good morning."

"How long have you been awake?" John asked suspiciously.

"I woke up when you started to play with my hair."

"So you have been awake this whole time?"

"Maybe."

"So how come you didn't wake up right away."

Rogue grinned impishly and replied, "Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer? I wanted a good morning kiss."

"I should've known." Rogue punched his shoulder playfully. "Come on we have to get ready 'cause Magneto wants to give us some last minute instructions." Rogue nodded mutely and started to head back to her room. She paused at the door and then walked back to John who was still lying on his bed. She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I'll see you in the War Room in about ten minutes." John nodded and started to get dressed. Not surprisingly John was in the War Room before Rogue. Minutes ticked by and John glanced at the clock wondering where Rogue was. He was beginning to think about going to look for her when she came through the door. The first words out of Rogue's mouth were, "Am I late?"

"No Rogue the meeting hasn't started, but I have been wondering where you have been. It's not like you spend a lot of time on what you wear."

"I got side tracked. And what do you mean I don't spend time thinking about what to wear. Just because you can't tell that I care about what I look like doesn't mean I don't care…" John could tell that she was going to keep talking so he decided to interrupt.

"Rogue, I can tell you care about what you look like, because you always look beautiful. It's just different from Xavier's where you, Kitty and Jubilee would spend three hours picking out the perfect outfit to wear and then spend another two hours on hair and make-up. I'm sorry if I upset you."

"You didn't upset me, I guess my mind is just elsewhere."

"Ya think?" Pyro said mimicking Rogues southern accent.

Rogue promptly stuck her tongue out at John. "So what got you sidetracked?" He asked seriously back to his normal accent.

"I was getting advice from Mystique that none of the guys here will support."

"Am I included in that none of the guys will support the advice?"

"Yes."

John put his fake sad look on and replied, "But baby, don't you know that I support anything you do and support."

"That's not true and the reason you wouldn't support it is because it would not work for you."

"So what was the advice?"

"I'm not telling."

"Please," John asked putting on his best sad face. Rogue shook her head no and she did the zipping her lips shut and locking them thing. "Come on Marie," John pleaded. It was driving him crazy that she wasn't telling him because he wanted to know everything that went on in her life. Rogue shook her head in a final way to show that she was sticking to her decision of not telling him. "Fine if you won't tell me then I won't talk to you until you tell me," John declared in a desperate attempt to get her to tell him. Unfortunately for John, Rogue saw through his bluff and knew he would be talking to her before the mission started. In John's opinion, she knew him too well.

"Good luck with that Pyro," Rogue replied with a smirk as she went to talk to Scarlet Witch. As John watched her leave he realized what he just said and he promptly began to bang his head into the wall.

"Hey Rogue," greeted Scarlet Witch in a sort of enthused voice. Rogue had long since given up on hearing that cheer from any of the people in the Brotherhood "Long time no see."

"Witch, you saw me yesterday during training and yesterday after dinner in the TV room."

"Yeah, well that's different because your boyfriend was there so we couldn't do any real girl talk."

"Witch again, we are in an evil villain's lair where we train to kill humans to set mutants free, what girl talk can we do?"

"Well I could have told you about one of the older guys that is trapped at the 'facilty' might be coming to live here if he wants and he is fineeee not that you'd be interested but he is still so fine. See girl talk is possible." Scarlet Witch concluded with a smirk that was similar to one Rogue had shown Pyro a few seconds ago.

"How would you know?"

"Oh, in the files that Mystique and Pyro got they had description of all the mutants over twenty-one and he was there."

"Right."

"Well like you would care about any other guy when you have Pyro." A small smile formed on Rogue's lips. "So how are things between you two?"

"Um I'll tell you in a minute, but first can you tell me what he is doing? He should be somewhere behind me."

"He's banging his head into a wall. Why is he banging his head into a wall?"

"First, we are doing good. He's banging his head into a wall because he sorta said something really stupid and I bet he's regretting in now." Rogue said in a happy tone.

"Okay what did he say? Spill now."

"Well he said he wasn't going to talk to me again."

"What! Why? Better question actually why are you not freaking out like me?"

"Cause he'll be talking to me before we leave. He's just upset because I wouldn't tell him something he really wanted to know." When Scarlet Witch raised her eyebrow Rogue elaborated, "Mystique gave me some advice to calm my nerves before I came here and I'm not telling him."

"Why not?"

"Cause he would totally flip out."

"Can you tell me?"

"Sure, not problem. I was a little nervous about leaving and possibly seeing the X-men."

"Well I'm nervous about seeing them, but Mystique didn't give me any advice, so why did she give it to you?"

"You don't know?" When Witch shook her head Rogue decided to tell her, "I used to be a student at Xavier's and I know all of the X-men. Hell one of them was like a father to me." She paused here remembering Logan, she would have smiled but the idea of using her powers against Logan was keeping that smile off her face. "While I can fight and kill people that I don't know and are hurting mutants, I'm not sure I can do the same to them. They are my former friends and well, family because people would always take care of me."

"So why did you leave?" Scarlet Witch asked obviously very confused since Rogue was talking about them in a very loving way.

"I found out my boyfriend cheated on me with three girls and then he had the nerve to say he loved me."

"Bastard." Scarlet Witch was obviously no longer confused.

"Yeah well I ran a way and was heading to Anchorage, but Pyro grabbed when I left a bar and brought me here. Okay so back to what we talking about first Mystique suggested that instead of fighting the X-men right away she said that I should use my knowledge about them against them. It might not work, but if it does then everybody else would have fewer people to fight."

"Okay good advice for you, but why wouldn't the guys agree with it?"

"Guys, not just guys here but also all guys, prefer to talk with their fists instead of their words. Guys here would want me to do the same thing, but I might not be able to, or ready for that fact."

"Gotcha, but Pyro would let you do whatever suits you."

"Witch, if I see my ex-boyfriend, Pyro would want me to kill him not reason with him." Rogue drawled carelessly with a wave of her ungloved hand.

"True."

"So tell me about this hot guy that is supposedly coming here."

Before Scarlet could open her mouth to respond Magneto entered the room. "My brothers and sisters, today we shall be liberating our fellow mutants. The necessary precautions have been taken care of to make sure we won't have any technical malfunctions like last time." Magneto droned on and on about being careful, yada yada yada. It went in one of Rogue's ears and out the other.

It was partly because she was nervous, but more dominantly because she had heard this lecture everyday for the past week.

When Magneto dismissed everyone Magneto held Rogue back. "Rogue do you feel confident that you can handle your part?"

"Yes Magneto."

"Remember Rogue, one last instruction; since you are not classified as a terrorist, yet at least, so you will be separate from the rest of us. If you run into trouble though make sure that you call for back-up we don't want to loose anyone on this mission."

"I'll be careful Magneto."

"Alright Rogue, now go make up with Pyro I don't want him to be distracted throughout the mission."

"Yes sir." As Magneto watched Rogue run to see her boyfriend he thought what he would have given to have her childhood without the horrors of the Holocaust bedded into his brain."

Meanwhile John was standing idly in front of the door to the copter waiting for Rogue because he was miserable without her, even though he had just seen her ten minutes ago. When he caught her heading towards the helicopter he stopped her. She looked up at him with a quizzical gaze and he responded to it by showing the woman who was in charge, by begging for her forgiveness. "Rogue I'm sorry I blew up at you earlier. I didn't mean what I said about ignoring you. I don't care if you tell me what Mystique said, just please don't be mad at me." Rogue just stared at John with an unreadable facial expression, for what seemed like and eternity to John, until she moved.

Rogue flung her arms around John's neck and pulled him into a tight embrace, which he gladly accepted. "Oh course I forgive you sugah. After the mission I'll tell you what Mystique said." Rogue detached herself from John a little bit so she could look at his face. "If I need you in there you'll come find me right?" Rogue asked, just wanting to make sure she had backup if she needed it and that John knew she wasn't going to be traveling with the group.

"Course Rogue, but I thought you were coming with the group."

"Last minute change, since I'm not officially classified as a terrorist yet, if I travel by myself it will seem less suspicious and if the X-men are there they, in theory won't bug me as much as they will the Brotherhood."

Pyro frowned when he realized Rogue wouldn't be coming with them.

"I don't like this Rogue."

"Me going off by myself?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Don't worry John, I'll be fine. I've been trained for this remember?" John wanted to argue with her, but he knew better, especially if Magneto gave her orders.

"Just be careful, 'kay Marie?" John pleaded as he carefully wrapped his arms around her petite frame and rested his head on top of hers, careful not to touch any skin.

"I will be careful John, I have no intention of going anywhere, anywhere without you."

"I know, I just don't want anything to happen to you." Rogue smiled at his concern, glad that for once that she wasn't the one worrying like crazy.

"It'll be fine John. If I have any trouble I'll contact you and you can come be my knight in shining armor." John agreed to help her if there was trouble. "Come on Pyro let's get on the helicopter and do this mission."

"Okay baby." He gently squeezed Rogue tightly before releasing her and following her onto the copter. As everyone was getting settled Magneto walked onto the helicopter and motioned for Mystique to start their flight. The ride to the building was silent everybody trying to prepare for the battle to come. They all knew their assignments. Mystique would change into a guard and unlock the doors allowing everybody to get in. Magneto would be waiting outside ready to rip away all the guard's guns at the slightest bit  
out trouble. Arclight, Destiny and Scarlet Witch would be waiting at the temporary base they set up about two miles away from the building so that they could give medical attention to any of the mutants that needed it. Sabertooth and Toad would be helping the mutants escape to the base because they weren't sure what state these mutants would be in. Rogue and Quicksilver were in charge of freeing all the prisoners. Pyro would be there to take care of anyone that got in their way.

Magneto walked off of the helicopter and motioned for everyone to start the mission. Pyro gave Rogue's hand one last quick squeeze so it wouldn't affect him before following Magneto off. Mystique got inside successfully and unlocked the door. Everything was set Quicksilver, Sabertooth, Toad and Pyro entered as one big group. Rogue waited for two minutes then entered.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," said a man in a suit as he walked down the hall. "We noticed that on the security camera of the government building that was broken into a couple weeks ago that one of the people was a blue woman, she looked like one of Magneto's henchmen. Also one of the mutants that came here looking for a job told us that he have a prediction that we will be attacked today. I don't know why," Although he  
did know it was because they were torturing mutants," probably because we're helping mutants and Magneto is determined that mutants stand alone. Help from anyone would be disastrous, especially humans. Will you help us?"

"Attacking people just because they want to help mutants sure sounds like that bucket head. Yeah we'll help. Storm you take Colossus and scout the west side. Cyclops you take Polaris, Shadowcat and Jubilee and wait out front. Make sure none of Magneto's goons get out. Iceman, you come with me and we'll take care of the west side."

"Yes Wolverine," they all replied and Iceman followed Wolverine. As they all exited the room the man smirked evilly.

"Perhaps they shall kill each other in the process and then we will be rid of the two biggest mutant menaces."

Rogue walked through the hallway quietly when she heard a something coming from inside the room. She knew that she should open the door to see what was going on, but she already knew. She had been here before in her dreams, in this room there was the girl being operating on. Due to Logan's enhanced senses she heard two pairs of running feet coming towards her.

"Hey you, get away from that door," a voice shouted that Rogue knew all too well.

"Stay away from me Bobby," Rogue responded as she turned to face Bobby and Logan, and wondered what had she done to piss off the fates.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Many thanks to all my reviewers and Lillith Evans for the beta.

* * *

"Rogue," Bobby asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"So Logan, what are ya'll doing here?" Rogue asked deliberately ignoring Bobby and putting up a tough girl face.

"We're stopping the Brotherhood from destroying this place. You wanna help us kid?"

"Fat chance Logan." She retorted sharply.

"Rogue they're killing innocent people!" Bobby exclaimed still trying to get her to talk to him.

"Logan is that what you believe?" Rogue asked, smirking to herself when she saw how riled up she was making Bobby. It was hard for her to admit but she felt…powerful seeing him squirm.

"Well yeah Rogue, the Brotherhood is a bunch of lying, murderous, not to mention evil mutants who think they are superior to the rest of the world. Now they're here attacking a facility that helps mutants, unprovoked. Its our job to stop them from attacking people, so I'll probably be killing 'em as I see 'em." Rogue knew that he hated the Brotherhood, especially after what they did to her at Liberty Island, but she didn't know his hatred ran that deep. Rogue then decided to take Mystique's advice and lay down her cards.  
She smirked at Logan and raised an eyebrow in a challenging manner.

"So kill me Logan." At the stunned expression the rose on both Bobby's and Logan's faces she decided to continue. "So Bobby you know how after you cheated on me I took off, well I left Xavier's and I ended up with the Brotherhood. I've learned a lot and I'm no longer the naïve girl you knew. I'm helping the Brotherhood with their mission, so try and stop me."

"Rogue, I'm not going to let you throw your future away like that," Bobby declared as he took a couple menacing steps towards Rogue. "We're going to take you back to Xavier's, where you belong."

"Our future is sealed, all mutants futures are sealed as far as this place is concerned. I don't belong at Xavier's anymore."

"Yes you do Rogue, now come with us," Bobby stated as he continued to walk towards her.

"Don't make me do something you'll regret later." Rogue responded as she kept his gaze and pressed a little button to signal to John that he needed to get his ass over here. The she directed her focus back to Logan.

"Logan, I have a question and I'm really hoping you'll be honest with me when you give me an answer."

Logan looked at Rogue trying to decide whether or not to listen to her. Every ounce of reason told him to completely ignore her and continue to search the building until he found another Brotherhood member or Rogue attacked him, but he had never been one to listen to reason. "Talk kid, I'll listen and be honest, but then you'll have to return the favor."

Rogue nodded to show her consent then asked Logan, "What are they doing here? Be specific."

"They help mutants find jobs and then they are relocated to make it easier on their family not being known as a mutant," Logan responded and wondered why Rogue asked such a no brainer question.

"What kind of jobs do they find?"

"Normal jobs like accountants, salesmen, bankers, etc." At this Rogue started  
laughing. While Rogue was laughing Logan thought about what question to ask  
her.

"Wolverine, we have to go," Bobby stated, wanting to get away from his ex-girlfriend, because he could sense that there was something different about her now and he knew he didn't like it, not one bit.

"Not yet Iceman. Rogue, here's your question: What do you know, that I  
don't?"

Rogue's laughter subsided and replied, "I know that they don't relocate people, they all come to live here. I also know what they're really doing." Rogue took a deep breath and prepared herself for the sight she was about to witness. She threw open the door silently and let Logan and Bobby see the sight in front of them. "They are making mini versions of you Logan." Logan stood there looking at the scene unfolding before him.

"The..um.. what.. huh but…" Logan was unable to utter a coherent sentence.

"What the hell is this Rogue?"

"This, Iceman, is what the jobs are. The agency not only takes you away to experiment on you, but they take your family. This girl here has been here for five years. Her name is X-23. These doctors are so manically evil that they took away a seven year-old's identity. Logan at least you had a past, whether or not you remember is a different story, but this girl won't even have a past not to remember." Logan was still at a loss for words because while he knew that the X-men were supposed to be attacking the Brotherhood and protecting the workers. Yet here was a girl who might as well be his daughter for the paternal instincts he felt for her that he was supposed to kill and people who he was supposed to protect that he wanted to kill. His options were follow orders or follow his gut. While he was debating his options, Iceman spoke up.

"How come they can't see us," he asked because he expected the workers to turn on them instantly.

"I'm not letting them." Rogue then diverted her attention back to Logan. "So what are you going to do Logan kill me or kill men and women who are murdering kids and their family. The choice is up to you."

"Rogue, you're not honestly telling me you are sinking to these people's level and murdering them. They probably don't even know what on earth they're doing," Iceman asked, grasping at straws to have something to believe in because he couldn't believe the X-men were going to allow this sort of behavior to continue.

"That's a lot of bullshit Drake, and you know it. These people are fully aware of what they are doing, hell I bet the only reason they brought you here is to get you to kill the Brotherhood and vice versa so there will be fewer Mutant Rights Activists. Heck, mutants period." She locked her gaze with his so that there would be no doubt in his mind that she was being completely honest.

"Now Robert, I need to make completely sure that you understand every word I say and have no doubt in your mind that I'm being completely honest. I have no problem what so ever with killing grown men and women that have made a conscious decision to take the lives of innocent mutant children, teens and adults. They have made their choice and now I am making mine to ensure that these people realize that they had great power and they abused it. When they make a bad choice they must face the consequences and this is the consequence. So yes Bobby, I can kill them."

Logan looked at her and made his decision on what to say. "Rogue," she looked up at him, "how can I help?"

"Logan you can't be serious," Bobby declared amazing that he was siding with Rogue, who was now a traitor in his eyes, instead of doing what he was told and following the X-men.

"Yep Drake, what Rogue over here said, well it struck a nerve with me and suddenly my options became follow my orders or follow my gut. And, let's face it how many times have you ever seen me follow orders rather than my gut?" Bobby looked over at Logan before directing his gaze back to Rogue.

"Fine Logan, you can be a traitor and help these felons. However Rogue I refuse to let you do that so you are coming with me!"

"I'm not going to go with you Iceman." She singsonged, ready to walk away with Logan.

"Tough luck for you 'cause you aren't getting a choice." Bobby started to come after her, in his eyes he saw her as a confused girl that would once again fall into his arms once she came to her senses. He didn't however count on her having moved on. Rogue discreetly pulled off her glove in case she needed to suck Bobby dry. He grabbed her arm, but before he could move Pyro appeared.

"She's not going anywhere with you Drake," Pyro said in a deathly soft voice as he approached them. In Bobby's shock of seeing his former best friend he let go of Rogue's arm. Rogue had been struggling to break free, but now that there was nothing tying her to the ground she lost her balance and began stumbling into the doorway.

"Back off Johnny. I'm not going to let Rogue ruin her life the way you ruined yours. I'm taking her back to Xavier's with me." Rogue continued falling towards the door, flailing her arms trying to get any of three men's attention, but they were all conveniently ignoring her.

"She's not ruining her life Iceman, if she was I would be helping you bring her back," Logan stated, feeling it was time to intervene in the situation. Rogue tried to grasp onto the frame of the door but her hand slipped due to her gloves.

"Couldn't have said it better myself Logan, except I would have added that she is saving people's lives," John said. Rogue slipped and landed on the floor with a thud, the boys still didn't notice her. Unfortunately the other men did.

"How is she saving people's lives by killing them?" Bobby retorted still attempting to prove he's right.

"Shit," Rogue muttered as she watched the scientists started to call for security and finish up the experiment after her blocks fell down and the scientists could see the commotion in front of their room.

"Because if she kills these monsters then the mutant kids won't be tortured anymore. Honestly Drake I didn't know you were this dense," John replied, as he realized Rogue had not intervened yet in order to keep him from doing something hot-headed and foolish.

"It's math Drake, you kill a life to save ten lives that are just beginning you take the better of two options, saving more lives," Logan responded siding with the flamethrower because he could sense that this boy cared about Rogue more than Iceman ever did, fatherly instincts forced him to view Iceman differently.

Rogue meanwhile was picking herself up off of the ground and trying to figure out the best way to do damage control because the boys were getting ready to talk with their fists and they would be so preoccupied with killing each other they wouldn't notice the guys with guns trying to kill _them_.

"Let me explain something to you," Bobby started, "I'm not leaving here without Rogue so you know what Pyro? Deal."

Crap was the word Rogue thought of when she realized that in order for the men she cared about not to die she would have to go with Bobby. "Fine," Rogue spoke up for the first time in the argument.

"What?!" all three of the guys shouted, each with a different expression on their face. Bobby's expression was one of elation because the girl he "loved" was coming back with him willingly. Logan's was of shock, the girl that just convinced him to change sides was not following through on her words. John's face had no clear expression. It was a mix of hurt, confusion and betrayal. The girl he loved, and who he thought loved him, was leaving him for the boy who cheated on her and would most assuredly do it again; she was leaving the Brotherhood who he thought she was beginning to regard as family. It truly seemed at that moment that whatever he did seemed to make him end up alone.

"Bobby go wait at the end of the hallway and I'll catch up with you there in a minute," Rogue instructed, wanting to get a chance to talk to Logan and John so they wouldn't hate her for all eternity. He nodded and followed, he would do anything to keep her happy at the moment. Once he was out of earshot she whispered to Logan, "Security is coming and you boys showed no intent on stopping your quarrel anytime soon. Get the girl in the room out, then find other Brotherhood members and tell them that Rogue sent you.  
You'll need to explain to Magneto that you don't want these men to continue to do to kids what they did to you, he should believe you." Logan nodded, understanding her reason for going with Bobby.

Logan followed her orders and went into the room to kill all the scientists and grab the girl who had healed herself once the men stopped repeatedly cutting her up. Rogue glanced over at John and felt her heart break because she knew how much it was killing him that she was going with Bobby; it probably felt like she was abandoning him.

"John," she called out, her voice barely above the whisper, "I love you, but the soldiers are coming and I don't want you to get hurt. Go with the Brotherhood and I'll go with Bobby. Come get me from Xavier's when you get a chance. Please don't hate me."

John looked up at her pleading eyes and realized she had a master plan that she was putting into action. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "Be careful and if he does anything to hurt you I will skin him alive the next chance I get. I love you," He then released her to go to Bobby before turning around and shooting flames out at the men coming at them.

Rogue ran after Bobby, forcing herself not to look back at John and Logan  
because she knew that if she did that she would return with them, and that would result in the loss of their lives. "Let's go," she called as she reached Bobby. He nodded then grabbed her arm and dragged her outside while communicating with the X-men that Logan was a traitor. While she was following Bobby blindly she mouthed to a gust of wind, Pietro, ask John. She knew he would stop to help her because she was making it seem like she was being taken against her will.

Meanwhile Logan had hoisted X-23 over his shoulder and was following Pyro out of the building. All the Brotherhood and X-men quickly evacuated the building and retreated to their respective campsites. Logan looked around the campsite in wonder and amazement at the amount of care the Brotherhood was giving to the refugees. He sensed he was being watched so he turned his attention to Pyro. "Where's old bucket head? I need to talk to him." John looked up at him half-amused.

"He should be coming shortly. Give me the kid and I'll have Scarlet Witch look at her."

Logan nodded and put the girl down, "Oh and Logan, a piece of advice, don't call Magneto bucket head, you might get your skeleton ripped out," John replied unable to keep the smile out of him voice.

"Hey Pyro," Logan started, "she didn't want to go with him you know."

John didn't need to ask whom he was talking about, "I know Logan." Logan nodded and began his search for Magneto. John followed his lead and began looking for Scarlet Witch. After he found her he attempted to find something else to do to keep his mind off of Rogue and enjoy his last moments of silence before the endless questions and blame for screwing up.

"Stay in here Rogue," Bobby instructed as he guided her into a cell.

"I thought I was coming here to fix my mistakes, not to be a prisoner," Rogue responded sourly.

Bobby smirked at her tone, figuring she would chance her tune by tomorrow. "Nothing personal Rogue, but you were with the Brotherhood then you converted back to us, so we need to have the Professor check your mind out to make sure you won't run back to the Brotherhood with all our secrets. I'll see you in the morning Rogue," Bobby replied as he turned out and left her in a cell.

Once Bobby was out of earshot she muttered, "Ya'll claim to be different than the Brotherhood, ha. At least there I got four walls in my cell." She rolled her eyes and glimpsed a lit candle just outside of her room. She called it towards her. Rogue played with the flame in a failing attempt to feel closer for John. When the fires didn't satisfy the hole in her heart she rolled over on her side trying to fall asleep, and wishing John was next to her telling her that everything was all right.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here is everyone's holiday present, an update. I am so sorry I have not updated in over a year. I don't really have an excuse, I just haven't had time and I've had writers block. However, I'm on break and the story is almost over so hopefully it will be finished in less than a month. I hope you like this newest installment.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own X-men**

* * *

"It wasn't my fault!"

"You were supposed to be watching her, Pyro."

"No, I was supposed to go help her if she needed it after she was told to run off on her own. I came to help her, but she went with Iceman in order to protect us because Logan and I were to busy screaming at Iceman to notice guys with guns coming at us." _Shit_, John realized what he said and knew that it would be taken the wrong way.

"So it was your fault."

"Stuff it Scarlet. I didn't want her to leave."

"Then you should have fought back."

"That is enough out of both of you," called Magneto. He walked over to where the two teens were getting ready to rip each others heads off. "Both of you are giving me a headache. We will deal with the Rogue situation after we deal with the refugees. Now if I hear anymore out of the two of you in regards to this situation you will find yourselves suspended by your ankles hanging from these trees and I will leave you there until I feel you have learned your lesson. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Witch and Pyro replied in unison unable to look Magneto in the eyes.

Logan struggled to contain his laugh at Pyro and Scarlet's facial expressions. "Hey, Magneto," he called out, wondering if bucket head had noticed him, "What do you want me to do?"

Magneto gave him a calculating gaze, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for you to tell me what you want me to do."

"I grasped that Logan," Magneto replied, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. "I want to know, why you are here and how long you will be here for."

"I am here because the X-men are lacking a bit of human compassion, or rather they are too trusting of everyone. I'll be here until Rogue gets back, then we'll see what happens." Logan responded. He didn't particularly want to work with the Brotherhood, but if the X-men were going to let theses kids be tortured then he can't work with them.

"Alright, Wolverine," Magneto replied with a smirked, "Then you can go check on the kids. That should be right up your alley."

Logan sulked away, grumbling to himself, "Stupid bucket head. Knows that I don't like kids, I only tolerate the ones at Xavier's because of Rogue and I get to kick some evil mutant butt. Now I have to watch the kids…" Logan continued mumbling as he approached the kids. The first thing he noticed was that they did not have proper clothes or shoes. They were bruised and had scars running down their face, arms and legs. Logan felt a swell of pity, when he was operated on he could immediately heal, these kids had to deal with the deformities. One brave kid, that just happened to be X-23, approached him.

"Are you another doctor," she asked with a small voice.

"No kid, I'm a mutant too." Logan stuck out his claws to prove it. "None of you will ever visit another doctor like those again."

"Promise?" asked another brave kid.

"Promise," Logan replied. That opened a flood of questions from the kids, and Logan remembered why he didn't like kids. _Might as well suck it up_ thought Logan and he did the best he could to answer their questions.

John approached Magneto, "Sir, what are we going to do about rescuing Rogue?"

Magneto looked up from what he was doing, "We are not going to do anything, Pyro."

"But we have to, sir, she is a valuable part of the team," Pyro replied outraged. He needed Rogue and the Brotherhood was supposed to protect their team members.

"I know she is Pyro. But we are still in enemy territory and we have about twenty kids to watch over. We cannot afford to spare anyone at this crucial time," Magneto replied regretfully. He glanced at Pyro's dejected look. _I'm going to regret this._ "If you feel that you cannot wait a week for a team to accompany you, then you may go get Rogue yourself. Mystique will pick you up at the bus stop tomorrow. If you don't have her by then, you will have to wait until we have a team to dispatch."

John looked at Magneto with gratitude. "Thank you, sir. Rogue and I will meet Mystique at the bus stop in a week."

John exited the room swiftly and started to pack. Logan glanced up from the kids and saw John throwing a lot of stuff into a bag.

"I'll be back in a minute, Christopher," said Logan to the kid who he was helping set up his blanket.

"Where you going, Flame boy?" asked Logan as he approached John.

"I'm going to go get Rogue," John said with a grunt as he finished tying up his bag.

"Are you flying solo?" Logan said, wondering why nobody else was getting ready to leave.

"I have to. Magneto said that we can't spare anyone, and I'm not going to wait a week to bring Rogue back." John quickly surveyed his area then began to pack up.

Logan nodded. "Bring her back safe; just make sure to use your head. Iceman was pretty torn up when she left, and I don't think he will take kindly to losing her again." John gave some form of consent, then left to go get his girl.

Rogue rolled over onto her other side. She had gotten, maybe, an hour of sleep. She could not sleep in the cell. Without John next to her it was useless. At the sound of footsteps, Rogue sat upright filled with apprehension. Lo and behold it was Bobby.

"What gruel do I get, Iceman?" Rogue asked bitterly. At his blank expression she elaborated, "Ya'll do feed your prisoners, don't ya." That seemed to clear it up for Bobby.

"You are not a prisoner Rogue." Bobby stated vehemently.

"Really, cause being locked in a cell, with three walls, without a bathroom and not being given food could lead a girl to believe she was a prisoner."

"Rogue, these are just precautionary measures. Scott is bringing down food in a little bit and then the Professor will come to talk with you. I just couldn't wait to see you," Bobby said, putting on the 'charm'. He placed his hand on the scan pad and the door opened for him.

Rogue considered beating up Bobby, but the door locked behind him and she really couldn't explain to the Professor why she was trying to trick Cerebro into thinking Bobby was conscious, and why she was trying to escape. Rogue could, however, put a lot of distance between herself and Bobby. She curled up into the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible.

"I've missed you Rogue," Bobby said advancing towards Rogue.

"Wish I could say the same, but I really can't." Rogue sourly replied.

"Don't be like that Rogue. You're here now, we can be together again."

"No Bobby we can't."

"Give me one reason why not, I love you Rogue," Bobby said, clinging to the notion the he and Rogue could just pick up where they left off.

"I'll give you three Bobby. You cheated on me, we are on opposite sides of the war and I'm in love with Pyro," Rogue responded incredulously. _Why doesn't Bobby understand that our relationship is in the past?_

"I don't believe that you really love John," Bobby said.

"Well I do. Even if I didn't any chance at our relationship is gone because you cheated on me. I can't forget that. If we were to try something I wouldn't be able to trust you and no relationship can be sustained without trust."

"Rogue…"

"Bobby, there can't be an us. I don't know what you were thinking. The two of us had a great run, but it turns out it was just a sprint, not the long trek. We are over Bobby, please; leave me in peace until Scott gets here."

"Are you sure you aren't going to change your mind?" Bobby asked dejectedly.

"Yes Bobby, I've moved on. You had three willing girls, I'm sure you have moved on too. Let go of the past." Rogue responded, as she watched Bobby walked towards the touch pad and exited the room.

Rogue returned to sulking in her room, trying to stop her stomach from rumbling.

Scott walked towards the cell carrying food. Rogue glanced at him; she did not have a personal grudge against Scott and, to her knowledge, he did not have a grudge against her. So Rogue decided to satisfy her need for actual conversation, that wasn't Bobby yelling at her.

"Hello Rogue," Scott called as he pushed the food into the cell.

"Hi Scott," Rogue calmly replies. He looked at her sharply. "How have you been holding up?" Scott looked at her, still unsure of how to act. "Cyclops, you have not attacked me personally. Even though I am with the Brotherhood now, doesn't mean I hate every one here. I just no longer agree with the methods the X-men take to achieve peace."

Scott nodded, accepting her response. "I miss Jean a lot, but I'm surviving."

"I miss her too. She was really great about trying to help me control my powers, it was completely unsuccessful, but more effort than anyone else put forth."

Scott gave Rogue an appraising look, thinking about how Bobby's description of the "new" her didn't fit. "Why did you join the Brotherhood, Rogue?" Scott wanted answers, and apparently Rogue was the place to get them.

"I didn't intend to, I just felt accepted there. It felt liberating, because I could use my powers for good. People there would help me control my powers and I stopped feeling like dead weight. I have to tell you Scott, feeling accepted was one of the best feelings," Rogue replied. Rogue felt a little silly blurting out all her feelings, but she probably needed to rehearse what she would say to the Professor, in order for him to let her leave.

"You were accepted here, Rogue. You know that, don't you?" That was the part of the conversation that confused him.

"By the teachers, sure I was accepted. But I was not accepted by the students. They were afraid of me." Rogue thought about telling him her personal philosophy, but decided against it.

Scott looked at Rogue sadly. The gaze did not contain pity for her, just the realization that the X-men have forever lost this girl. "You haven't changed much, have you?" Rogue looked at him quizzically, so he elaborated. "Bobby has adamant that you were nothing like you were. He was ranting about how the Brotherhood must have messed with your mind."

With an exasperated sigh, Rogue replied, "I have matured Scott. But I still care about humanity. I just believe that before we can protect humanity, that have the government, the police force, and everyone else on there side, we should protect the mutant children. People like us that have no one to stand up for them. The Mutant Affairs Center was experimenting on children," Rogue paused for a minute to breathe deeply.

"Rogue, we didn't know…" Scott was at loss for words. He wouldn't have fought to stop the Brotherhood if he had known about the experiments.

"I know Scott. But ignorance isn't bliss, and I can't live and fight without knowing the whole picture."

"Can you get the whole picture with the Brotherhood, and Magneto being biased?" Scott questioned.

"Yes, I can. I am not coddled there, and I can get the whole story," Rogue allowed herself a smile at the way she got the information. Scott didn't have to know she could intimidate Magneto into telling her the truth.

Scott nodded and got ready to leave. "The Professor will be by soon to talk to you. I hope you are happy with them."

"See you round Cyclops. Don't give to much homework to your classes," Rogue turned to her meal and relished the sustenance. Scott left with a small smirk, the Brotherhood hadn't changed her. She just matured.

Rogue finished eating her meal, then started staring at the wall. She considered using Magneto's powers to get herself out of there, but she wanted to keep that a secret. So she stared at the ceiling, because lying on her back was much more interesting than sitting.

Professor Xavier came to talk to her about an hour later. "Hello Rogue," he called.

"Good morning Professor. Did you know that there are 38 tiles in the ceiling?" Rogue asked as she swung her legs over the bed so she was upright.

The Professor looked taken aback for a moment, "No, I did not know that. Did you find your meal satisfactory?"

"Better than Toad's attempt at meatloaf."

"Well I'm pleased to hear that Rogue. So…"

"Professor, can we just cut to the chase? I am a part of the Brotherhood. I didn't want to come with Bobby, but after the soldiers were alerted to our presence, I wasn't about to wait around and let anything happen to John or Logan."

"Rogue, I want you to understand what you are doing. These are very important decisions you are making. I only want what's best for you, and I do not believe the Brotherhood is it."

"And why is that Professor? You aren't me, you haven't lived the Brotherhood and you haven't seen the other side of them. How would you know what is right for me?"

"Please, Rogue, think about what they did at the Mutant Affairs Center."

"I am Professor. I am thinking about how the Brotherhood stood up to the harsher side of humanity. I saw how they were trying to prevent the experimentation of mutants, on mutants younger than thirteen. I also saw the X-men protecting the scientists that are continuing Stryker's work. I know I can't work with people that condone the destruction of human lives."

"Rogue, please, I am only thinking of you. Magneto did try to kill you."

Rogue glared at Professor Xavier and stood up, her body shaking with fury. "Do you think I forgot about that, Professor? I have to live with that reminder for the rest of my life. I will remember that for the rest of my life. But people change, after all isn't it you that believes that humanity will change? That humanity will change and accept mutants? If you can believe that unrealistic dream, then why can't you accept that I would rather stay with the Brotherhood? They have helped me, and I am learning to move beyond Liberty Island."

"Rogue…" the Professor trailed off.

"Professor I have changed. I don't belong in this place anymore. I belong with the Brotherhood." Rogue took a few calming breaths before meeting the Professor's gaze.

"Rogue, I accept you choice, but I want to know why you are turning your back on the belief that man and mutant can live peacefully together. When you were here you believed in peace, not superiority."

"I do believe in peace, Professor. I just don't believe that it can be achieved in my lifetime. Maybe in Logan's, but frankly he isn't going to die anytime soon."

"Any why, my dear, do you believe that peace cannot be achieved in your lifetime?"

"If we were to try to achieve peace between mutants and humans, wouldn't we have to achieve peace between mutants on the same side?" Professor looked less like his omnipotent self, so Rogue elaborated. "Humans fear us Professor. You are lying to yourself if you believe anything different. We cannot erase that fear if mutants still fear each other."

"Who do mutants fear?"

"They fear me. Do you remember what happened after Logan stabbed me? I absorbed his powers and everyone avoided me. The students couldn't accept me. If they can't accept me, how on Earth can I believe humans will accept us if mutants can't accept me. Humans fear mutants, and mutants fear me. I can't live like that Professor, so that is why I'm going to stay with the Brotherhood."

Professor Xavier looked up at the ceiling sharply. He appeared to be getting a strong distress message from an X-man. _Sometimes I think it must suck to be a telepath_ Rogue thought.

"Yes Rogue, sometime being a telepath does suck," the Professor responded with a smile. Rogue blushed in embarrassment. "Are you sure you have given up on the X-men's dream."

"No Professor. I just want to make sure that future generations of mutants can live to see your dream come to fruition."

"Well, then, Rogue you are free to go." He opened the door and wheeled himself out while she followed. He stopped her before she left, "Can you give this to Erik when you return to the Brotherhood?" He pushed a letter into her hand. Rogue nodded and accepted the letter.

As she was leaving she heard the Professor call, "Rogue, on your way out you might notice two mutants fighting each other on the lawn. I would be most appreciative if you could break it up. Tell Mr. Allerdyce that both of you will be welcome back here if you ever decide that my dream is becoming more of a reality and you would like to help on the route to peace."

"I will consider it Professor, but I think John is comfortable where he is, and I am too. Good-bye Professor," called over her shoulder. Rogue then broke into a run, wondering why the Professor wanted her to break up a fight.

Rogue ran outside. Before she could take ten steps she was confronted with pillars of fire and columns of ice. She was torn between being furious at John for fighting and touched that he came to get her. "Hey," she screamed at them. Ignored. "Hey," she screamed louder. No difference. "John Allerdyce!" She still didn't get response. _Idiot boys_ she thought. Rogue called on Scarlet Witch's powers to bind their hands together, then she recalled the flames, which had a life of their own.

"Thank you for listening to me, finally," Rogue called.

"Rogue," the boys called in unison. She rushed over to John to see if he was okay.

"I've missed you John," Rogue whispered.

"I missed you too, Marie," John replied softly, drinking in her features. Rogue felt someone's gaze on her back, and saw Bobby staring at her.

"I'll be back in a minute," she called before walking over to see Bobby. "Maybe in a different world where I could touch we would have worked Bobby, but not in this one. Sorry," she whispered.

"Are you happy Rogue?" Bobby asked, finally accepting defeat.

"Yes Bobby. I am," Rogue responded. Bobby nodded.

Rogue turned and ran to John. He grabbed her protectively and glared at Bobby. "John," Rogue called softly, immediately drawing his attention to her. "Can we just go home?"

"You mean to the Brotherhood?" he asked puzzled, having never heard her refer to the lair as home.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" John directed a smile, which Bobby had never seen before, at Rogue and led her to the place where Mystique will meet them.

John and Rogue got to the bus stop and waited for Mystique. "So how long were you two fighting," Rogue asked.

"I don't, a half hour of so. He won't be forgetting my visit anytime soon," John replied with a smirk. Rogue gently smacked his chest.

"You should be so mean, John."

"He deserved it. He cheated on you, and took you away from me," John replied defensively.

"Alright John," Rogue paused for a moment, then quickly kissed his cheek. "Thank you for defending my honor."

"You're welcome," he replied.

"Oh, and know that if you ever do what he did to me, I will make what you did to him seem easy," Rogue warned with a playful glare.

"No worries there, Rogue. I love you too much to do what he did."

"I know. I love you too."

Mystique skillfully landed the helicopter in front of them. "Good to see you, lovebirds," she called.

"Good to see you too, Mystique," called Rogue.

John and Marie boarded the helicopter. "So, what have I missed?" asked Rogue.

"Well, Logan has been watching the kids we rescued," answered Mystique.

Rogue started to laugh, thinking that Mystique was joking and that they knew better than to trust Logan to watch kids. When neither John nor Mystique joined in she got worried.

"You're serious. Are the kids still alive?" This got a laugh from Mystique.

"Yes, Rogue, they are still alive. Logan has been a wonderful host." Rogue sat in shock for a while. John gently rubbed her hand and successfully distracted her. Marie gave his a smile and decided just to relax until she got back. After all John's shoulder was a comfortable place to catch up on sleep she didn't get last night.


End file.
